


Queen of Ice and Fire

by Ronin



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: F/M, Romance, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-06-15
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2017-10-21 17:18:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 131,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/227668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ronin/pseuds/Ronin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Quistis Trepe: Instructor, SeeD, and occasional secretary, is preparing a new crop of cadets for a field exam. Normal routine for her...until Nida decides to shake it up by finally taking a chance and asking her out. will sparks fly?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Save the Queen

**Author's Note:**

> Queen of Ice and Fire

Queen of Ice and Fire

 _I don't own these characters; I'm only borrowing them._

Chapter 1: Save the Queen

Quistis glanced at the clock in her classroom, and then scanned the students working busily on the test she'd handed out.

"Time. Please bring your tests up and place them on my desk. Those of you who are _not_ participating in the next field exam may leave. Those of you who are, or who _hope_ to, please remain behind." Quistis instructed. She waited while the cadets filed up and placed their tests on her desk, some exiting the classroom, while others returned to their seats.

When all the tests had been turned in, Quistis straightened out the stack and placed them in a folder to grade later. Getting up from her chair, she came around to the front of her desk and leaned against it, arms folded.

"Which of you have managed to get to the fire caverns? I know Trey has. You did that yesterday, right?" Quistis asked the remaining students, focusing her final question on a dark-haired cadet, who nodded. Three cadets raised their hands, leaving two that didn't.

"Michelle, Kyle, the field exam is in two weeks, so you do have a little time to get that done, but not much. Let me know if you can't find an instructor to back you up when you go. Your pre-requisite scores have been pretty good, but you've still got to pass this final exam, all of you. If you do not, then all your preparations aren't going to matter and you'll have to wait until the next field exam to try and qualify for it." Quistis told them. The students all nodded and exchanged apprehensive looks.

"Does anyone have any questions?" Quistis asked, adjusting her glasses. When the students all shook their heads, Quistis nodded in satisfaction.

"You're all dismissed then. I'll email your scores directly to your student accounts when I've finished grading your tests." Quistis said, turning around to pick up the folder containing them. She followed the students as they filed out of her classroom and walked toward her quarters.

As she walked, she sighed, wondering if she should eat dinner first. She shook her head then, deciding against it. She wasn't hungry yet, and she really wanted to get those tests graded so she could give Squall a list of the cadets that had qualified for the field exam as soon as possible. She could grab something after she was done.

She was just entering the hallway leading toward her quarters when she heard Squall's voice over the PA requesting Nida's presence. _He must want to talk to him about mobilizing Garden for the field exam,_ Quistis thought.

Despite having just returned from a short vacation with Rinoa, Squall was as focused upon his job as ever, if a little overwhelmed with the work that had accumulated in his absence. Quistis and Xu had done their best to keep on top of things that didn't actually require Squall's attention, but the things that did had been put aside for him. And having been gone for a week, those things had piled up.

Not for the first time, Quistis wondered if Squall would _finally_ give in to necessity and hire another secretary. If nothing else, an assistant would help him do "triage" on his waiting work so that he could better prioritize it. Fortunately, they had already gotten the location for the field exam negotiated, and everything was ready and waiting for the cadets when they arrived in two weeks.

Distracted by her wandering thoughts, Quistis didn't see the dark-haired young SeeD that came out of a nearby room and turned to head up the hallway, running smack into her and sending her tests flying.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Quistis, are you okay?" Nida asked her, kneeling down to help her pick up the scattered papers.

Adjusting her glasses, which had been knocked askew by the impact, Quistis answered, "I'm fine Nida, I wasn't paying attention, otherwise I'd have seen you coming." She knelt down as well and began picking up the tests.

Giving her an embarrassed smile, Nida admitted, "I wasn't either, actually." Quistis laughed softly as he handed her a stack of papers that he'd picked up. Taking them from him, she smiled back, suddenly noticing how handsome he was.

He wasn't _so_ good-looking that he attracted a lot of attention, and of course having Squall as a year-mate had tended to overshadow the young man, but Nida _was_ in fact attractive in his own right. And honestly? Quistis found that pretty boys had left her cold.

But Nida wasn't _pretty_. Nor was he a _boy_.

He had thick, blue-black hair that made Quistis wonder how it would feel to run her fingers through, chiseled but very masculine features and his eyes…. Quistis had never noticed before that Nida had hazel eyes. Nor had she noticed before how _beautiful_ they were.

She came to herself and realized that she'd just been staring stupidly at him when he cleared his throat and said, "well… I've got to go."

"Right," She said, starting to get to her feet. Nida helpfully took her elbow and gave her a hand up.

He walked a few steps down the hallway, then paused and turned back, asking hesitantly, "Um…do you want to go get some dinner later?"

Without thinking, Quistis answered, "Sure. I just need to grade these…"

Nida smiled and responded, " And I still have to go talk to Squall…. but, I could come by when I'm done."

"Okay. I'll see you later then." Quistis smiled at him and he gave her a sketchy wave, walking backward a few steps.

"Later." He turned and started up the hallway, breaking into a loping jog. Quistis snuck a look back as she continued toward her room, admiring his easy stride. The rear view wasn't too bad either.

It wasn't until she'd entered her apartment and put the tests on her desk to be graded that she suddenly realized that Nida had actually asked her out on a _date_.

As he loped toward the lift leading to Squall's office, Nida couldn't hold back a grin. He would have done a celebratory fist pump and a "YES!" to express his excitement but held back, not sure if Quistis was still watching him or not. He didn't want to come off as an idiot, even though her unfortunate impression of him after he'd run into her would be that he was a klutz.

Fortunately, it gave him an opening to ask her out, so he did it before he talked himself out of it. Wonder of wonders, she accepted.

Reaching the lift, he punched the button to the second floor and got in, leaning against the wall, sighing. He hoped he didn't mess things up, come on too strong. He'd had a crush on her since forever, it seemed, though he'd never officially joined the ranks of "The Trepies" as Quistis' fan club called themselves.

But Irvine, oddly, had provided some encouragement to him when they'd been returning from Squall's bachelor party, and Nida had finally seen a solid opportunity and taken advantage of it. He hoped he hadn't misread the moment, but he didn't think so.

He also didn't think she was dating anyone; at least not for the last several months. He'd heard a disturbing rumor about someone she'd dated and wasn't seeing any longer, and wondered about it. Why would both Squall _and_ Irvine want to kill the guy? All Nida knew about him was the fact that the man wasn't a SeeD.

The elevator pinged, indicating that he'd reached the second floor and he got out, headed toward Squall's office. He smiled at Xu as she passed him, just leaving Squall's office.

Upon reaching the door, Nida knocked, waiting for Squall's invitation to come in. When it came, he entered the office.

Squall sat at his desk, glancing up at him from his computer monitor and saying, "sit down." His desk was uncharacteristically cluttered, a state which had likely contributed to the annoyed look on his face.

"How's everything going?" Nida asked, curiously.

Squall shrugged, gesturing at the chaos and saying, "aside from all of _this_ , I'm fine."

"I'm guessing you called me up here to talk about mobilizing for the field exam, right?" Nida asked him.

"Yeah. I just wanted to go over the route with you and make sure we had everything prepared before we left. Check on food and water stores, that sort of thing." Squall answered him.

Nida nodded. He'd have his work cut out for him for the next two weeks. Even though Garden wasn't actually going anywhere yet, Nida was one of the few people there that knew it from top to bottom, having paid close attention to what the FH technicians had done to fix it. So he'd be busy down in the MD level for most of the next two weeks. Nida sighed. He hated it down there.

"Any preference on which SeeDs I take with me?" he asked.

"Whomever's available? Doesn't matter to me otherwise." Squall answered.

Nida nodded. They plotted out the course and discussed Garden maintenance, with Nida giving Squall his report on how things appeared to be running so far. It would take roughly a day of travel to get to their destination, and they would remain stationary at that location for the duration of the field exam, returning immediately afterward. Nida _did_ have a backup pilot, so he could get some time off if needed, and he worked with Squall on scheduling the piloting duties.

Discussion finally finished, Nida commented, "You really need a secretary."

Squall grimaced, "everyone keeps telling me that, but every time I put it out there that I'm looking for one, I swear all I get are these…stripper wannabes or something. I even had one girl ask me if I could put a _pole_ in my office. Does nobody ever bother to read the damn job description? I thought Secretary/Administrative Assistant would be clear enough on what I was looking for."

"What happened to that guy you hired, what was his name, Carl?" Nida asked, curiously. It had become a running joke amongst the staff that Squall simply couldn't keep a secretary for long. Either he ended up firing them, or more commonly, they quit.

Nida didn't understand why, it wasn't as though Squall was difficult to work with, quite the opposite. But he did _not_ put up with any nonsense and was not what anyone would consider to be tactful when calling someone out on it. More than once, it had led to a hopeful secretary fleeing the office in tears. Squall was happy with Rinoa and had no interest in anyone else, and those secretaries that were hoping otherwise ended up bitterly disappointed.

Finally Squall answered flatly, "I fired him. I would have put up with him flirting with Xu, or Quistis, or even Rinoa. Hell, I wouldn't have turned a hair if he'd flirted with _you._ But, _again_ , he seemed to think I was looking for more than just someone to file my reports and help me organize my day. I could have cared less that he was gay; I just wanted him to do his goddamn job and leave me alone. He wouldn't, so I fired him."

"It may not have bothered _you_ if he'd flirted with me…" Nida muttered. But he understood Squall's meaning. The man's sexual orientation hadn't mattered as long as he'd done the job Squall had hired him for. The moment it interfered with that job, he'd been fired.

Then he suggested, "Maybe you should just hire Rinoa to help you?"

He almost burst out laughing at the horrified expression that crossed Squall's normally controlled countenance.

"Um…. no. Bad idea. Very, very bad idea." Squall said, shaking his head vigorously.

"Why?" Nida asked, trying to hide his amusement.

"Because, trust me, she is _not_ organized. Plus, I'd never get any work done." Squall answered.

Nida started laughing finally, "No, I guess you wouldn't at that. Not even _you_ can resist _that_ temptation, huh?"

Squall finally chuckled, "No. I wouldn't even try. It _does_ give me an idea though…"

Focusing his attention back to the reason for their meeting, he said, "let me know if there's anything that needs attention in the MD level."

Taking that as a dismissal, Nida stood, saying, "I will. Talk to you later."

Pausing at the door, he looked back at Squall and asked him, "Do you plan on working late tonight?"

"I'm going to have to, if I want to catch up with all of this." Squall said, gesturing to all the paperwork that had piled up. Then he added with a slight grin, "Don't worry, I'll have Rinoa bring me up some dinner."

Nida laughed again, catching the wicked glint in his eyes, and said, "Don't forget to lock the door. You know, just in case."

"Of course." Squall said, returning his attention to the computer screen.

Nida left him to his work, and headed back toward the lift. It was easy to envy his year-mate and yes, friend, all that he had accomplished and gained in the last few years. For a while, Nida had done just that.

But that was before he'd gotten to know the personality that had been kept so well hidden behind Squall's mask of indifference until recently. The person he was now was a marked difference from the one he had been before he'd met Rinoa. Nida didn't know how she'd managed it either; he'd known several girls, Quistis included, who'd tried to crack through that shell of ice without success. Even some guys, when they saw his apparent lack of interest in the girls, gave it a try, with the same results. He simply wasn't interested. Period.

It had angered and frustrated Nida by turns however to see Squall rebuff Quistis repeatedly when _he'd_ have been only too happy to take his place. And he'd been embarrassed on her behalf when she'd just about thrown herself at him after their graduation ball, only to have Squall coldly tell her to go talk to a wall.

Nida had been with his date that night, snuggled in a dim corner of the secret area, taking in the sights, when they'd walked in. It had crushed him to learn that Quistis had lost her instructor's license and was just going to be a regular SeeD. She'd be out in the field, risking her life with the rest of the active SeeDs, a thought that left Nida feeling…. worried.

Then Squall had made that harsh comment and walked away, leaving Nida with the urge to beat some sense into him. _Can't you see she just needs some comfort? A friend? She's in LOVE with you, idiot!_ Nida had wanted to yell it at him, and then he'd seen the completely empty look in his eyes and stopped. Squall didn't _care._ About _anyone_ , not even himself.

It made him the perfect SeeD, someone able to kill or die without a second thought. But it also made him a horrible human being. Nida often wondered; if Rinoa had known Squall the way everyone at Garden knew him, would she have even bothered trying to connect with him?

Nida, and everyone else that Squall now counted as friends, a concept he'd slowly gotten used to; they all agreed that it was a good thing she had. Her influence, her love, had given their young commander a dose of humanity that he'd sorely needed. Seeing that, Nida couldn't help but be happy for the two of them, and hopeful that he might find that same kind of connection with Quistis.

With that thought in mind, he strode toward her apartment, trying to ignore the fluttering in his stomach as he did.

* * *

Quistis finished correcting the last of the tests and began entering the grades into her computer, posting them to the faculty and the individual students, working steadily with focused determination. It wasn't because she wanted to be finished before Nida knocked on her door. It _wasn't_.

 _Yes, it was._

Quistis sighed, trying to rationalize it. He was just being nice. It wasn't like he was _actually_ interested. Right? So, she decided to take the invitation in the spirit it was given. It was just dinner, and they both had to eat anyway. May as well do it with someone to talk with.

But she couldn't ignore the fluttering in her stomach, the excitement and yes, the _fear_ , which she was trying hard to shove aside and ignore. It had been so long since she'd even attempted to date. Months since Sean….

She shuddered, memories surfacing that she'd much rather were forgotten. But they'd left an indelible mark upon her psyche that even six months of intensive counseling hadn't come close to erasing. She didn't think those scars would ever fade.

It had started out innocently enough, and even as smart, strong and capable as Quistis was, she'd missed Sean's machinations. He had masterfully maneuvered her into such a vulnerable position, that he literally had her at his mercy. Before long, she had fallen so deeply into his lies, his manipulations, that she couldn't see a way out.

He never _physically_ abused her, never laid a hand on her in anger. Not at first. He was too smart for that. But what he _did_ do was much, much worse. He found and exploited her vulnerabilities, her insecurities. He isolated her from her friends, lied to her about _everything_. And constantly made her feel like _she_ was the selfish one for wanting… _anything_ … from him.

Chip by chip, bit by bit, he picked away at her confidence, her assurance, wearing away the essence of her being. Tearing her down until she felt completely inadequate. Trapping her until she was where he wanted her. Then, when the emotional and psychological abuse weren't satisfying him anymore, _that_ was when it got physical.

It had gone on for months. Months of pure hell. Even now, Quistis didn't understand how she'd allowed him to do that to her. _Her_. She was a _SeeD_ for Hyne's sake. She killed men as easily as breathing. But for some reason, she couldn't defend herself from the man she had thought she loved.

She had continued to work, continued to teach, but it became more and more difficult to feel as though she were doing a good job of it. But she had gone through the motions, clinging to what was familiar and safe to her, while everything outside of work became less and less tolerable.

 _I'm sorry Quistis. I'm sorry. I love you... I promise I'll change…_

Empty promises. Lies. Getting her hopes up, letting her feel happy for a moment or two, then something would trigger him and without warning, another slap. Another punch. Sometimes, she'd fight back. She wasn't a _complete_ pushover. Those were the days that she didn't come in to work.

The only reason he hadn't killed her was because she kept a supply of potions hidden; in her purse, in secret, hidden nooks in Sean's house, in her desk drawer at Garden… They healed her, erasing all signs of the abuse she suffered, leaving her friends completely in the dark about the sudden change in her personality and habits.

She was on the edge of a knife, balanced, waiting for a fatal slip. Feeling like she was out of options, she almost made the biggest mistake of her life.

" _Quistis? What the hell is this?" Squall frowned, dropping the neatly typed letter onto his desk and glaring at her._

" _It's a letter of resignation." She answered. Maybe Sean just needed her to spend more time with him. He was always so jealous of the SeeDs she worked with, particularly Squall. She should never have told him that Squall had been her first love._

" _I know what it is. What I'm asking is what the hell are you doing this for? Your license has been reinstated, and you've been doing a great job. At least until recently." Squall said, arms folded across his chest, watching her closely._

" _I… I just… can't. I can't do it anymore Squall. Am I teaching these kids anything at all worthwhile?" She asked him, flinging her hands up, and then hissing in sudden pain. The potion she'd just taken apparently hadn't gotten as far as deep-tissue healing yet._

 _Squall's eyes narrowed and he approached her, raking her from head to foot and seeing far more than Quistis had thought he would._

" _I've noticed you stocking up on a lot of healing potions lately Quistis. And yet, nobody's seen you anywhere near the training center in weeks." Stepping closer, he added quietly, "it takes at least an hour for a mid-level healing potion to work completely, and bruises always fade last. Ordinarily, I would assume you knew that."_

 _Quistis turned away, unable to hide the tears that started gathering in her eyes._

" _I'm not accepting your resignation." Squall said flatly._

 _Gasping, Quistis whirled to face him, asking, "Why?"_

" _Because it's not YOU. Something's going on with you. If you don't want to tell me what it is, that's your choice. But until I'm satisfied that you are in your right mind and not under any duress, I'm suspending you pending a complete physical and mental evaluation. Until I get a full clearance from Dr. Kadowaki, you're on personal leave." Squall stated._

 _Swallowing, Quistis nodded, looking down at her feet. Sean would expect her to be home with him every minute of every day. The only reason that she'd escaped being imprisoned completely was because she hadn't moved into his apartment with him, despite his assurances that he'd get help, get better, if only she was there with him._

 _But now that she was on leave… a cold draft of fear traced down her spine. She didn't know if it was because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to visit her boyfriend, or that she would…and be unable to find the strength to leave._

 _She had just started to turn away, preparing to leave Squall's office when he added; "You are also confined to Garden property for the duration of this evaluation."_

 _She had nodded and left, hoping he hadn't seen the relief that his terse statement had given her._

To this day, Quistis didn't know how long Squall had suspected what was going on, but the report that Doctor Kadowaki had given him had left him livid with anger. By that time, Quistis had found the courage to tell the whole sordid story to Selphie, with Irvine offering his solid support as well.

She still felt ashamed however that she, a SeeD, had failed to do something so basic as to protect herself. She felt certain that the cold anger that simmered in Squall's eyes when he'd learned the complete story from both her and Irvine was directed at _her_ for being so foolish and weak.

She learned later that it was nothing of the sort. His rage had been focused solely upon the person who actually deserved it.

Sighing, Quistis entered the final grade into her computer and sent the file off. Glancing at her clock, she got up and smoothed her hands down her uniform skirt, wondering if she should change.

Going into her bathroom, she studied her reflection and dithered. Glasses? Or contacts? Hair up or down? Lipstick or gloss? Nervously, she brushed her teeth and went with the gloss, and was just deciding to put in her contact lenses and take the pins out of her hair when she heard a knock at her door.

 _Already?_ She thought, and then took a deep breath to try and calm the butterflies in her stomach. Then she went to go answer the door.

 _Its just dinner Quistis. Don't freak out. Its just…dinner._ She told herself as she grabbed the doorknob and opened the door.

Nida smiled at her when she opened the door, and the fluttering in her middle intensified. Why had she never noticed before what a nice smile he had?

 _What's wrong with me? This is NIDA. I've known him forever. He's just a friend…_ Quistis told herself, and she was right. But still, something _felt_ different. Something had shifted somewhere, causing her to see Nida in a different light. Suddenly, everything felt askew.

"Quistis? Is anything wrong?" He asked her, frowning worriedly at her distraction.

Shaking her head vigorously, she offered a tentative smile and stepped through her door, closing and locking it behind her.

"No, I'm fine. Let's go. I think I just need to eat." She said.

He nodded and they started toward the cafeteria. He'd debated with himself over that, wanting to take Quistis out on a _real_ date. But he didn't want to do too much too soon. She seemed rather skittish lately, and he didn't want to come on too strong and scare her off. So, just dinner in the cafeteria, and maybe work up to something more special, say by Friday? If things looked like they were going to go that direction that was.

"So uh, how'd the tests turn out? Do you know who's going to do the field exam?" Nida asked her as they obtained their dinners and picked out a table.

"Yes. All of the candidates have passed that requirement, so we've got a good mix of students. I've already emailed the list to Squall and Cid." Quistis answered, taking a sip of her drink.

"So what's next?" Nida asked her, curiously.

"Well, a couple of the cadets still need to go to the fire caverns, so I'll probably be escorting them unless they request another instructor." Quistis answered.

Nida took a sip of his drink and smiled at her, "I can't think of any other instructor your students would want."

Quistis smiled back, liking the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. It was odd; she could sense his attraction, and she felt the same way. But there was no actual tension, instead just a comfortable camaraderie gained from their shared experience as SeeDs.

"How about you? What have you got going on?" She asked.

Nida shrugged, "Just working. Plotted the route we're going to take for the field exam. I'm going to be spending the bulk of my time in the MD level, checking on things down there before we leave."

"You _are_ going to bring someone for backup, right? It's dangerous down there." Quistis said, worried.

"Of course. I'm rather fond of keeping all of my various appendages intact." Nida replied.

Quistis laughed, and Nida smiled in response. He really liked her laugh. It was a real laugh, not a little-girl giggle. It bubbled and burbled pleasantly, even musically. And when she smiled…. It lit up her whole face, making her beautiful blue eyes sparkle like diamonds.

He could have cared less about what they were eating; he was enjoying the company he was keeping far more than the food. He hoped Quistis felt the same way. It appeared that she did, she looked far more relaxed and at ease than he'd seen her for a long time. He didn't want the meal to end, but eventually they both finished eating.

Lacing his fingers together, elbows resting on the table, Nida rested his chin on the resulting fist and smiled at Quistis.

"You know, its really poor manners to have your elbows on the table like that." Quistis observed.

Nida shrugged, "I'm finished eating, and it looks like you are too. Dinner's over."

"Yeah," Quistis sighed. She didn't want it to be. She'd enjoyed Nida's company, far more than she had expected to. She had the whole evening free; she'd completed grading all of the class work she'd taken home that day. She'd been considering calling Selphie, Rinoa or Xu to ask if they wanted to go to the training center with her. She needed the workout, and had to have a partner if she was going to go there.

"Are you doing anything later?" Nida asked her.

"I was thinking about calling one of my friends to go to the training center with me. I need the workout." Quistis answered.

Nida raised his eyebrows, and asked, "Would you mind if I joined you instead?"

Quistis smiled and answered, "No, I wouldn't at all." Such a typically SeeD thing to do, she thought in amusement. Then she sobered. The possibility of death or injury resulting from a training center session, the heightened awareness and surging adrenaline that resulted from it sometimes led to…. _other_ activities, once the secret area was reached. _Also_ a typically SeeD thing to do.

Just a few months ago, the thought of being alone in that type of situation with a male would have pushed her to the edge of panic. Indeed, the mere thought of going out on a date had terrified her. But …much as she hated to admit it, the therapy she'd been receiving _had_ helped. At least _now_ , the thought of going out on a date with a good looking young man actually _interested_ her, rather than frightening her.

"I'd better go get changed. Thanks for joining me for dinner. Meet outside the training center in fifteen minutes?" Quistis asked Nida, standing up and preparing to leave.

He nodded, "See you then."

* * *

Nida trailed along behind Quistis trying hard not to be distracted by the view he had of her shapely backside. It wasn't working.

When she'd said she wanted to change he figured she'd just throw on a pair of jeans or sweats, something you could move in and get dirty and not worry about. It was what _he_ had done. Instead, she showed up in a knee length suede skirt, knee high boots, a brief vest that hugged her torso and thin leather sleeves that covered her arms from wrist to shoulder.

The sight of her in that outfit, with her whip hanging from her belt, threatened to melt Nida into a puddle at her feet. Despite the fact that, aside from the vest, it actually covered more than her SeeD uniform had, Nida thought it was sexy as hell. And just the _thought_ of Quistis Trepe, wearing leather with whip in hand, taking charge of a training center session, was incredibly hot. Actually _seeing_ it? Off the charts.

He was going to need a cold shower after this.

Unless…. He thought briefly about the secret area in the middle of the training center, and what tended to go on there. If things progressed to that point tonight, he'd be ecstatic, but he wouldn't push for it. As attracted as he was to her, Nida wanted more than just a hot, sweaty grope in the secret area with her. He wanted _several_ hot, sweaty gropes…as many as he could manage. If cooling off and keeping his hands to himself tonight made that more likely later on, he'd behave, and _wait_.

And ache as he watched her leather encased ass sashay through the tropical foliage ahead of him.

Fortunately, they encountered enough grats and bite bugs to keep him focused and to work off his excitement. Sort of. But even that, watching as Quistis confidently snapped her whip at the creatures, cutting them to pieces with the wicked lash, fascinated him.

It distracted him enough that a grat that had come at them from the side nearly got him. Movement, barely glimpsed out the corner of his eyes, caused him to instinctively duck and strike out with his sword, slicing off the tentacle of the attacking monster. Dancing backward, he parried the remaining tentacles, slicing them off one by one before he slew the thing.

The monster toppled toward him with a dying cry and he leaped backward, slamming right into Quistis and sending them both tumbling to the ground in a tangle.

"Ugh! OOF! Nida!" She exclaimed, landing flat on her back.

Nida ended up landing awkwardly, halfway on top of her. At least he'd had the sense to drop his sword before he fell, thereby avoiding inadvertently impaling her with it. All the instructions he'd ever had as a cadet ran through his mind in that moment and he winced inwardly, embarrassed at just how many stupid mistakes he'd just made.

 _Fool! Idiot! What were you thinking? Too busy looking at her ASS to pay attention? Some SeeD you are, dipstick!_ Nida berated himself, feeling his cheeks warm with mortification. Placing his hands carefully on either side of her body, Nida lifted himself up off of her and sat up on his knees.

"Are you okay?" he asked, gazing anxiously down at her.

She shifted, giving Nida a tantalizing glimpse of thigh before she levered herself upright and sat up, brushing the hem of her skirt back down. Nida sighed softly in disappointment.

"I'm fine." Quistis answered, brushing grass off her skirt and reaching for her whip.

Swallowing, he looked away, saying, "I'm sorry, that was really stupid."

Frowning slightly, Quistis asked, "What happened?"

"I was… distracted." Nida admitted carefully.

"By what? You know you need to pay attention when you come in here." Quistis said severely.

 _By you. By that sexy as hell suede outfit and how hot you look in it._ Nida thought privately.

Answering aloud, he said, "I know. Just so you know, I'm not normally this clumsy."

Quistis raised one eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest, saying, "I know. You seem to be having a problem with your focus today."

 _Tell me about it._ Nida thought, attention caught by her beautiful summer-blue eyes. She'd left the glasses off, making them easier to see. Her creamy skin wore an attractive flush from their exertions, and the fine dew of sweat that had gathered on her brow and glistened in the hollow of her neck put Nida in mind of how she'd look in the afterglow of hot, steamy….

Shaking himself out of those _very_ arousing thoughts, Nida stood up and reached his hand down, offering to help Quistis to her feet as well.

Clearing his throat, he looked away while she finished brushing her skirt off, replying, "Yeah. It's been a long week for me." _A long seven months actually, if one counts the last time I actually got laid…_ Nida thought ruefully. That was most likely his entire problem. He was so damn horny he couldn't think straight.

All the more reason to find a _big_ monster to fight to work off his pent-up energy.

Gesturing for Quistis to follow with his head, he continued up the trail, this time in the lead. Maybe if she weren't in front of him, he'd find it easier to focus. She followed for a few steps before catching up and walking beside him.

"What do you mean, it's been a long week for you? We haven't gone anywhere." Quistis said, glancing over at him.

Nida sighed, and then responded, "Just because I'm not piloting Garden anywhere at the moment, doesn't mean I've got all kinds of free time. Who do you think keeps this thing running in the first place?"

"You?" Quistis asked, interested. Nida nodded.

"You know, I hadn't thought about it before. After we got everything fixed up in FH, I just didn't think about it after that. But it makes sense; _someone's_ got to maintain this garden and everything in it." Quistis mused, eyeing Nida with newfound respect.

"To be fair, I'm not the _only_ one that does the maintenance. We actually have a crew that was trained along with me in FH, and there are a couple of backup pilots to take over when I'm not available, like for Squall's wedding. But I _am_ in charge of Garden maintenance. Anything that needs to be fixed or isn't working right, gets reported to either Squall or me, and I make sure it's taken care of." Nida clarified.

"That's almost as important a job as what Squall does." Quistis commented.

"Almost." Nida said, warmed by her comment. A distant rumbling roar caught his attention and he glanced over at Quistis.

"Sounds like a T-rexaur coming. You up for it?" he asked her, drawing his sword.

Taking her whip out of the loop at her belt, she snapped it in preparation, and nodded. They both checked their junctions and discussed their strategy, then settled down to wait for the monster to attack. It didn't take long.

The monster burst through the foliage with a roar, charging straight at Quistis. Nida quickly cast a blind spell while Quistis beat the creature back with repeated lashes from her Save the Queen whip. It popped and cracked as she advanced upon the monster, each lash taking a strip of hide with it. The rexaur cried in pain and tried a similar move with its tail, but missed due to the blind spell.

While Quistis held the dinosaur off with her whip, Nida summoned his GF. Aeryon wasn't the strongest GF around, but it _did_ help. And when it manifested, it never failed to incite comment. A distant shriek, a blur of feathers and talons, and the great, golden phoenix-eagle stooped down upon the hapless dinosaur, knocking it to the ground with its diving firaga attack. The guardian perched briefly upon its ko'd foe, magnificent wings spread wide, ruby eyes studying them both, before it shrieked again and leaped into the air, disappearing into the void from whence it came.

Quistis stared after it, asking breathlessly, " _That's_ your GF? I've never seen that one before." Nida shrugged, sheathing his sword and starting to walk toward the secret area.

"It's registered under my profile. I came across it a few years ago after killing a huge elnoyle on a training exercise. It's pretty handy to have with me when I'm working in the MD level. It looks like a giant phoenix-eagle, but it's actually a fire elemental, like Ifrit." Nida answered her, breathing hard from his exertions as well. He had no idea how long they'd been in the training center but he was getting tired, and a break in the secret area sounded perfect.

Quistis also needed a moment to catch her breath, and agreed readily when he indicated the door to the secret area. He opened it for her, and followed her inside.

Nida noticed right away that they had the place to themselves as Quistis crossed over to the railing and leaned against it, still breathing deeply. He turned his mind forcibly from contemplating the obvious opportunity and instead leaned against the railing next to her, concentrating on the view from the overlook. Quistis sighed, prompting Nida to look over at her.

"That was fun," she smiled at him, breathing easier, heartbeat calming as she rested against the rail. She fanned at her face with a hand, trying to cool her overheated skin. The excitement from the battle, her racing heart and surging adrenaline was still with her. It made her more aware of the attractive young man that stood beside her, the warmth and weight of his body and his scent that the brief contact they'd shared in the training center seemed to have imprinted upon her mind.

The calm, rational part of her mind told her it was reaction from the proximity of danger that made her want to pounce on him and…. The visceral part of her that was reacting to the coiled tension low in her belly clamored at her to _just do it_. She wasn't so blind that she didn't see his interest, and didn't think he'd resist if she followed through with that urge. They were completely alone in this place, and there were enough shadowed corners that even if someone showed up, they could remain unobserved.

Quistis suddenly remembered that despite the length of time she'd spent at Balamb Garden as both a student and an instructor, the only time that she'd ever come to the secret area for any reason was when she'd come there with Squall the night of his graduation to SeeD. _That_ night had not turned out as she'd hoped, and afterward, she'd been too busy with other concerns to have another opportunity. Not with Squall, certainly. Rinoa's appearance had made that impossible. And while Quistis _had_ dated since, she had not dated anyone in Balamb Garden.

Nida leaned on his elbows at the railing, gazing at her and smiling, then he said, "It was. I'd like to do it again with you sometime. Let me know if you need a partner next time you come in here."

Quistis' smile grew wider at she said, "Certainly. Going by what I saw today, you look like you could use the practice."

Nida grimaced, "That was…. I was not at my best, that's all I can say about that. Trust me, I'm much better, usually. I wouldn't have been able to go down into the MD level so much and come back intact otherwise."

Quistis raised both eyebrows, considering that, and replied, "That's true enough. Practice wouldn't hurt though. I need to come in here more than I have been lately."

Nida nodded, studying her flushed and dewy appearance, and said without thinking, "You look hot in that." Then he groaned inwardly as he realized how it sounded and wanted to smack himself on the forehead.

Quistis blinked, surprised, then bit back a smile.

"The leather I mean. It looks hot…warm, I mean warm…" he stammered, cheeks heating up. He ran his fingers through his hair and groaned. _God Nida, you are SUCH an idiot!_

Quistis smiled at his discomfiture. His fumbling attempts to cover his verbal gaffe were actually very cute. And the slight flush visible along his cheekbones, even in the dim lighting of the secret area, made Quistis want to suddenly grab him and kiss him.

Taking pity on him, she replied, "It _is_ warm, but more comfortable than you think. The leather's tougher and more durable than fabric, and it does breathe. It feels nice too, moves well with the body." Then she grinned, adding, "And it _does_ look good."

Nida nodded in agreement, not trusting himself to say anything further. He'd already put his foot in it enough. But his hands itched to touch the leather that hugged her body.

Tilting her head to one side, Quistis added with a wink, " _You_ look good too. I don't think I've seen you in anything other than your uniform."

"Thanks." Nida said. Suddenly, he was tongue-tied. He'd envisioned himself impressing her with his sparkling personality and making her laugh with his wit. Now, he was exactly where he'd wanted to be for so long, it wasn't even funny, and he couldn't think of anything intelligent to say. The only thing he'd managed was a stupid comment about her leather outfit. Brilliant.

Then, Quistis licked her lips, and Nida couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm sorry, but I _have_ to do this…" Nida murmured before he closed the short distance between them and planted his lips onto hers. Soft. They were so soft. And sweet, and she fit him perfectly; he discovered that when he pulled her close against his body. Just tall enough that she was easy to kiss, lean and lithe, golden and gorgeous. His hands roamed the velvety soft leather covering her firm curves, the soft silk of her skin when he slipped his hand slightly beneath the bottom edge of her vest just above her waist. He was swept away in the contrast between warm leather and smooth skin, in her taste, texture and scent. Lost in her.

And suddenly elated that she not only _wasn't_ resisting him, but actually kissing him back.

They came up for air with Nida's hands in her hair and his eyes locked with hers. He suddenly began to worry that he'd started off too fast. He'd wanted to take a bit more time with her, but now that he'd tasted her lips, he wanted more. So much more.

"Quistis, I…." He began, but the words died on his tongue as he began drowning in her blue, blue eyes again.

"Shut up and kiss me." she whispered. He wordlessly complied, devouring her mouth until they were both breathless, then turning his attention to her neck, tasting the salt on her skin and breathing in the mingled scent of leather and _her_.

He pressed her back against the railing, causing her head to fall back as he ran his tongue down her neck to the glistening hollow between her breasts that had been driving him mad all night. She combed her hands thorough his hair, her short, ragged breaths encouraging him to further exploration.

He worked a hand beneath her snug vest, discovering only then that she hadn't worn a bra as he caressed a soft breast. She pulled him close against her, close enough that she could feel how she was affecting him.

He groaned as she ground her hips against his and whispered, "You're killing me Quistis, I want you so badly right now."

"What's stopping you?" she whispered back breathlessly, nipping at his bottom lip before pulling him into another searing kiss.

What indeed? What about the fact that just moments before, he'd decided to back off, take it slow? What about the fact that as hot as it was to have sex with her right then and there, he wanted more than just _that_?

It was with great difficulty he pulled back, breathing hard and nearly trembling as he tenderly stroked her cheek, saying, "I want more than _this_ , Quistis."

"What? What do you mean?" She asked, mind in a confused fog of desire.

"I want more than a one time fling. And I don't want our first time together to be here." Nida said, kissing her gently.

Rubbing his thumb gently across her swollen and well-kissed bottom lip, he added, "Come out with me Friday. I mean, actually _out_. Nice restaurant, fancy clothes, the whole bit."

Swallowing, Quistis nodded, saying softly, "Okay. I will." Nida smiled and Quistis sighed at the way it lit up his eyes.

"I think we'd better call it a night." Nida said.

"Alright." Quistis sighed, then asked, indicating his still evident excitement, "Um… what about…?"

Nida laughed ruefully as he pulled back from her and led her toward the door, "Cold shower. Don't worry Quistis, I'll live."


	2. Firedance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2: Firedance

Chapter 2: Firedance

Quistis walked toward the entrance of the Fire Caverns with cadet Michelle Howe chattering nervously beside her.

"So, um.. I junctioned all the ice magic I could, and I have like, a _ton_ of firaga spells on my elemental defense. Did I miss anything?" the girl asked anxiously.

"Did you draw any curative or support magics?" Quistis asked her in turn.

The girl groaned, smacking herself on the forehead, "I _knew_ I'd forget something!"

"Here," Quistis took her hand briefly and transferred several cure spells to her.

The cadet smiled in relief, saying, "thank you Instructor Trepe."

Quistis paused before approaching the entrance and asked the girl, "Are you ready? Double check your junctions if you aren't sure."

The girl did as suggested, her brown eyes losing focus for a moment. She blinked and shook her head, causing a lock of black hair to fall into her eyes before she brushed it back and focused her attention back to Quistis.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Ready."

Nodding, Quistis approached the Garden Faculty member that stood guard outside the cavern with the cadet, Michelle, trailing along behind her.

"Instructor fourteen, Quistis Trepe and cadet Michelle Howe, student ID number 98856." Quistis told the faculty member, who stepped aside to allow them entry, starting the timer at the same time.

As they passed through the mouth of the cave and into the complex itself, Quistis hung back and told the girl, "Okay Michelle, its your show. I'll be here as backup but you're on your own from now on."

Nodding, the girl readied her weapon and took the lead, trotting along the trail toward the trail's end and the final test. Trailing along behind her, Quistis snapped her whip at a couple of red bats that swooped in on them, knocking them out of the air.

As she followed the girl along the trail, Quistis felt Ifrit's amusement at the whole process. It was actually a pretty powerful GF, but after being the final test for countless cadets over the years, it had learned to gauge the strength of each cadet and battle accordingly. This was not to say that the Guardian took it _easy_ on the kids, quite the opposite. Ifrit approached every battle with the intent to win. It would not junction to a cadet that hadn't fairly beaten it.

 _Another child for the testing?_ It asked her.

 _Yes._ Quistis answered.

 _Very well. Let us see what she is made of._ Ifrit responded.

The guardian appeared before them, leaping out of its molten lair in a spectacular shower of sparks, growling. Then it issued its challenge to the cadet.

" _SO YOU SEEK TO CHALLENGE ME?"_ Ifrit asked in impressively dramatic fashion.

"Yes. I do." The cadet answered firmly. Quistis had to give her points for courage. Most cadets would be shaking by now. Ifrit could be frightening when it wanted to be. Quistis had to hide a smile however as she sensed the guardian's enjoyment of the drama. Ifrit was a huge ham.

 _Don't play it up too much, she might not take you seriously._ Quistis warned.

 _Very well, although I DID have a very impressive speech planned._ Ifrit responded.

Quistis had a hard time holding back a laugh at that and sent severely, _you nearly made me laugh! I've a good mind to sic Shiva on you!_

 _GODS! Anything but THAT! Okay, let's do this…_ Ifrit sent.

Roaring and throwing off sparks, Ifrit demanded, _"SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT YOUNGLING!"_

And the battle was joined. Quistis aided the cadet when needed, but this test was mostly for her, so Quistis stayed out of it as much as possible.

The girl started off by casting protection spells on herself first, then started lobbing the strongest blizzaga spells that she could at Ifrit.

Ifrit responded with devastating fire-based attacks, which were only partially blocked by the protect spell. The cadet reeled back from the onslaught, and desperately cast Regen and tried a different tack, raising her weapons and running at the guardian, intent upon a physical attack.

Ifrit snarled and swiped at her with its clawed hand, but the girl dodged aside, avoiding the blow. Then she whirled, razor sharp sword in each hand, blocking Ifrit's attacks while simultaneously slashing at the guardian, backing it up nearly to the edge of the crater it had emerged from.

Quistis watched the girl proudly, impressed with her facility in mastering the two-blade technique. It was not an easy thing to learn, even if one were ambidextrous. And cadet Michelle Howe was not. It was a testament to her drive to succeed that her use of the swords gave no sign that she was almost exclusively right-handed.

Ifrit of course gave as good as it got, but in the end acknowledged its defeat and allowed the cadet to junction it, saying, _"WELL DONE CADET! I WILL JOIN YOU."_

Quistis' awareness of Ifrit faded as it junctioned with the cadet. Ifrit would stay with the girl until she'd either passed or failed her field exam, then it would be released back to Garden, either to test the next crop of cadets or to junction with whichever SeeD needed it.

In spite of its somewhat community property status, Ifrit _did_ have a marked preference for certain SeeDs. It appeared more quickly and worked better with those SeeDs that it had the highest affinity for, Zell and Quistis among them. It would also only speak to _those_ SeeDs, and no one else. Guardians could be capricious like that sometimes.

Quistis grinned over at the cadet and said, "That was _quick_! Good job!"

"Thanks, instructor Trepe." The girl smiled back, and they started toward the entrance of the caverns. The remaining denizens of the caverns were easily dealt with, Quistis snapping the occasional red bat out of the sky with her whip while Michelle took care of the bombs and other monsters with her blizzaga and physical attacks.

They arrived back at Balamb Garden out of breath, and Quistis smiled at her student, saying, "Well, we're done until your field exam. So you can do pretty much whatever you want until then. I would suggest spending some time in the training center to stay sharp."

"Okay. Well, talk to you later." The cadet said, and they parted company once they entered garden.

Quistis headed toward her apartment, intent upon a shower. A few minutes in the fire caverns was guaranteed to leave one grimy and sweaty. Afterward, well… she didn't know, really. It was a bit early yet for lunch, she'd already had a workout today, and her students who weren't participating in the field exam were transferred to another instructor for the day so that Quistis could accompany cadet Howe into the fire caverns.

In short, she really didn't have anything to do.

Oh, she supposed she could visit with Rinoa or Selphie and catch up with them; she hadn't visited with them in a while. Deciding that she would do exactly that after her shower, she entered her apartment and started undressing.

She turned on the shower and adjusted the spray to a temperature she preferred and stepped into it, sighing. The warm water soothed and relaxed her, draining away the tension left behind by the battles in the fire caverns.

It had been two days since her intense make-out session with Nida in the secret area, and she hadn't seen him since. She knew he'd been busy, so had she, but she worried nonetheless. She wondered if he still intended to take her out on Friday. She hoped so. She was really looking forward to it.

 _More_ than looking forward to it, she thought with a delicious shiver. Positively _craving_ it. It had been so long since she'd been kissed like that, touched like that. So long since she'd wanted to respond in kind and make someone else's nerve endings sing like they'd done to her.

Nida's restraint, while admirable, had made Quistis want to scream and rip his clothes off. Fortunately (or not) common sense reasserted itself as he walked her back to her room and she realized that she didn't want things to start out that way with him either. She wasn't like that, and Nida had risen several notches in her estimation of his character by offering proof positive that he didn't think of her that way.

But a tiny, wicked part of her _wanted_ him to.

The pathway her mind had wandered had left a physical aftereffect that tempted Quistis to reach manually for the release she ached for. Instead, she cursed in frustration and flipped the hot water tap off; gasping, as she was drenched in cold water. It might have temporarily satisfied her, but it was a hollow exercise in futility. She would wait.

She only hoped it would be worth it. Judging by the way Nida had kissed her; Quistis thought that it would be.

Then she remembered the way he had looked at her, and began to feel nervous again. Unlike Squall's difficult to read expression, Nida was an open book. There had been more than just lust in his eyes. Passion was there, plain to see, but there was also longing, and something softer… something that had prompted him to back off respectfully and offer to take her out on a date. Something that Quistis felt it was too early to put a name to, but was there all the same.

She shut the water off and got out of the shower, toweling herself dry and getting dressed. Noting the time, she decided to head to the cafeteria and get some lunch.

* * *

"Hey Kris! Hand me that spanner, will you?" Nida called down to the one of the SeeDs that had come with him into the bowels of Garden. He currently stood upon a none too stable ladder, arm hooked over a rung, reaching down with his other hand for the requested tool.

"Which one?" Kris asked.

"The eight-millimeter." Nida answered. The SeeD he'd addressed, Kris, rummaged through the toolbox, locating the tool and handing it up to Nida.

"Thanks." He said once he took the tool, then applied it to the offending bolt on that ladder that threatened to work loose, _again_ , while he was checking and changing all of the air filters in this Hyne-forsaken place.

You'd have thought it would be difficult to find SeeDs willing to venture down there, but Nida had not had any trouble with it. Despite the oppressive heat, the grimy rust and the dirt, the more gung-ho of the SeeDs in Garden actually _relished_ a trip down there. The sheer variety of the vermin that populated the MD level was enough for any SeeD worth his rank to want to test his skills against.

If you were a cadet training for your field exam, then the training center was perfect for that. However, if you were a full SeeD that had seen a campaign or two, the training center was decidedly tame. It was why they had to draw names for the extermination teams to clear out the worst of the monsters, and it was why Nida never had any trouble finding volunteers to keep his hide intact while he did his part to maintain the hulking edifice they resided in.

The ladder now more secure, Nida stuck the tool into the back pocket of his pants and continued his climb upward toward the vent he was aiming for. He'd long since discarded his shirt, hating the clammy feel of the sweat-soaked cotton against his skin. Over one shoulder was slung a canvas bag carrying the new filters he'd be installing in the vents.

He'd been at this for hours, him and another one of the maintenance guys. Nida wasn't fool enough to think he could take it on entirely by himself. Not if he wanted to actually be _finished_ in two weeks.

Finally reaching the vent, he opened it and pulled out the filthy, dust-covered filter and put the new one in. Leaning over the other side of the ladder, he did the same thing with the other vent, sticking both used filters into his bag to be discarded later. He could simply have dropped them, he supposed, but it would be terribly rude to rain used air filters down on the heads of the SeeDs that were helping him with his task.

Climbing back down the ladder, he discarded the used filters and paused, trying to think of what needed to be done next. He'd completed his section of the MD level, changing out all of the air filters that needed it, and the other guy was working on his section and likely done or nearly so as well.

Going over to where he'd left his shirt draped over his tool kit and supplies, he grabbed his water bottle, sucking down the lukewarm contents thirstily, swiping his forearm over his sweaty brow. A growl from his midsection prompted him to check his watch, discovering that it was later than he'd thought.

"Hey, guys?" Nida called out to the scattered SeeDs, "Let's knock off for a bit and get some lunch. Anyone game to run up and grab something from the cafeteria for us?"

"I'll go." A slim, dark haired girl spoke up.

"Thanks Kessie." He smiled at her, and then turning toward the rest of the SeeDs, asked them, "Any preferences? Let Kessie know what you want."

"Aside from _you_ stud muffin? Just a sandwich for me Kess." An older SeeD, a violet-eyed blond woman, said with a wink at Nida.

Nida snorted, "I thought Kessie was more your type Reya."

The woman smiled at him and replied, "Ordinarily yes. But you keep strutting around with your shirt off like that and I might consider switching teams again."

Nida rolled his eyes at that, and said to Kessie, "Sandwich for me too Kess. And bring some cold drinks down here too. I don't know about the rest of you guys but I'm roasting right now."

The SeeDs with him nodded. The males, like Nida, had largely discarded their shirts, much to the delight of _most_ of the females that had come along. Of course, Reya then had to make the comment that it wasn't fair that the girls couldn't get away with going shirtless too. _That_ opened a can of worms that Nida was hard-pressed to get rounded up and put back to rights.

Before things went too far, Nida had thrown his hands up in exasperation, saying, "Do what you want, but we didn't come down here to simply stare at each other! In case you've forgotten, there are monsters here that have a nasty habit of killing people. Can we focus please?"

"But Nida, it's _hot_ down here!" Reya had said in an exaggerated whine, fanning herself with her hand and batting her eyes at Kessie.

"Okay, you know what? I'm all for equality but this is ridiculous. Girls, keep your shirts on. Guys, do what you want. Next time Reya, I'll put you in charge of this and you can have the girls go topless if you want, as long as nobody gets so distracted they die." Nida had said then, shaking his head.

It had taken several minutes and an oilboyle attack to bring the focus back to what they'd actually come down to the MD level to do. Until then, the ribald jokes and risqué comments that the SeeDs tossed back and forth got bad enough to irritate Nida.

That irritation didn't last long however as his mind focused on the work he had to do. Quite simply, he was too busy to think about the preceding silliness.

Kessie got the rest of the group's orders and left, with Reya sighing at her departing back.

"She's such a cutie. Too bad she isn't into girls." She said.

"How do you know? Have you asked her?" Kris asked.

She shook her head, "No, but I haven't heard anything about her dating girls." Nida snorted, half-sitting, half-leaning against the bottom rung of the ladder he'd just climbed down.

"You know how accurate the rumor mill around here is. For _years_ , everyone was convinced Squall was gay, quite ignoring the fact that he never dated. Period." Nida said.

"Too bad he turned out straight and got married. Took himself completely off the market before anyone even had a chance at him. Talk about unfair." Kris sighed. "You don't know how badly I wanted to melt that Ice Queen, only to find out that he was nothing of the sort."

"You know what's weird about that? There are some people that are _still_ convinced that Squall and Seifer have a thing going on despite the fact that they're both happy with their current relationships." Another girl said, frowning.

"Has any of this gotten back to him Nida?" Reya asked him curiously.

"Yeah. He hates it but really can't control it so he just ignores it. Besides, if you're around garden long enough, you'll see him and Rinoa together. It's not like they're trying to hide anything." Nida said.

"I think they're cute together." Another of the girls said with a smile.

"What about you Nida? I haven't heard of you getting together with anyone lately." Reya asked him with a smile.

Nida shrugged noncommittally, "I've been busy."

"Well, hate to break it to ya kiddo, but with our commander off the market, you just went to the top of the list of most eligible SeeDs." Reya grinned at him.

Nida stared at her, " _Me_? What about Irvine?" The girls laughed, and Nida frowned. Poor Irvine. This would _definitely_ put a dent in his self-esteem if he got wind of it.

"Please. With _that_ cocky attitude? And his incessant flirting? He wishes." Reya snorted. The rest of the girls nodded in agreement.

Nida shrugged. He had to give that one to the girls. Irvine _did_ tend to lay things on a bit thick, but he had a good heart and he genuinely liked females of all kinds. He wasn't quite the player he tried to make himself out to be either. At least not lately.

"Zell?" Nida asked, puzzled.

"Nope. The hot dog fetish is a little off-putting. I'll give him points for being genuinely nice though, if a tad hyper." Reya smiled.

Nida groaned, "Who thinks up these things?"

"It was an online poll that popped up in the Garden Network a few days after Commander Leonhart got married." One of the female SeeDs answered, thinking privately that Nida was plenty cute enough to take the commander's place at the top of the "Most eligible SeeDs in Balamb list".

Nida shook his head wearily. Then a slithering sound echoed from the shadows in the cavernous underbelly of Garden. The SeeDs fell silent, their manner instantly alert.

"Look alive guys." Nida warned as he quickly retrieved and drew his sword, facing the direction he'd heard the sound coming from. The other SeeDs each had their weapons ready, and each faced a different direction, each guarding the backs of the others. In the echoing confines of the MD level, sounds could be deceptive. There was no way to be sure from which direction the attack would originate.

More slithers, and a sibilant hiss was all the warning they got before the oilboyle attacked.

* * *

Quistis was just finishing up her lunch when she saw Kessia in the cafeteria, asking the headwoman for several sandwiches and cold drinks. Dumping the remains of her lunch, she put the tray away and approached her, curious.

"Hello Kessia, how are things going?" Quistis asked her.

"Oh, fine I guess. Hot as blazes down there. We got attacked by an oilboyle and a grendel, almost as soon as we got there, but things quieted down after we took care of them." Kessia answered. The headwoman returned with a huge bag piled high with sandwiches, sides and condiments, and an ice bucket filled with soft drink cans and water bottles.

The girl groaned, thinking of the long trip back down to the MD level burdened with all of that stuff.

"Too bad they won't give you beer." Quistis commented.

"I _wish_." Kessia replied absently, trying to figure out how to carry both things without crushing the sandwiches or dropping the ice bucket.

"We're on duty though, and it'd be pretty stupid to be drinking when an oilboyle or a triface could attack at any moment." She said.

"Would you like some help with that? I don't have anything going on right now." Quistis offered.

"Oh, would you? Thank you Quistis, I really appreciate this." Kessia said.

Quistis picked up the ice bucket and followed the smaller girl to the lift. It was definitely heavy, and while the girl _was_ strong…she had to be, if she was SeeD…. it was a long way down to the section of the MD level where Nida and his crew were working.

As they rode the lift down, Quistis asked "So what have you guys been doing down there anyway?"

"Well, mostly just keeping the monsters busy while Nida and Terry climb around the ductworks like monkeys. They were changing out air filters today." Kessia answered.

"Were there a lot of monsters? The last time I was down there was with Squall, and there were dozens of really nasty ones then." Quistis asked.

"There were a few but we do extermination sweeps periodically so there aren't as many as there used to be. The little nuisances like the red bats are mostly gone. The oilboyles, trifaces and grendels are harder to kill, so there's still quite a few there." Kessia answered her.

"Nobody's gotten hurt though, right?" Quistis asked, trying to ignore the anxiety that cropped up in the back of her mind.

"Not so far." The girl replied. The elevator dinged as they reached their destination and they disembarked, walking down the dimly lit, narrow corridor toward where Nida and the rest of the SeeDs were.

Sweat began beading on Quistis' skin almost immediately and she sighed, thinking that she'd need another shower once she got back to her room. The bucket dragged at her arms, and she took a deep breath of the oppressive, steamy air. The corridor was lined with pipes and conduits, steam escaping at various intervals, adding to the humidity.

Their feet clacked upon the metal flooring as they walked, nearly drowning out the faint sounds of battle as they approached their destination. They became more distinct however as Quistis and Kessia got closer, and they both traded an alarmed look, dropped their burdens and ran the remaining distance, readying their weapons, preparing to leap into the fray and help.

By the time they reached the scene of the battle however, it was over and the SeeDs were tending their wounds.

Quistis' eyes tracked wildly around the group, looking for Nida, nearly missing him until she heard him groan and wince in pain as he wiped off his sword and sheathed it. She stood transfixed, simply staring at him, heart pounding. Like the other guys there, Nida was shirtless, and so had blended in with them. That, and the fact that he was liberally smudged with grime and smeared with oil, shiny with sweat and bleeding freely from a wound before he healed it with a cure spell, and it was no wonder Quistis missed seeing him at first. _At first_.

But she saw him now, and what she saw made her mouth go dry. She knew he was in shape, they _all_ were. It was part of the job. That, plus the fact that Nida was Balamb Garden's resident track star; so yeah, he was fit. What she didn't know was how damn _good_ it looked on him. Until now.

 _Holy Hyne…_ She thought, still staring, knees going weak. He wasn't bulky, runners usually weren't. Instead he was lean as a greyhound, and nicely defined. If there was an ounce of fat anywhere on him, Quistis didn't see it. She was too busy following the trail of dark hair arrowing down his chest to the low-slung waistband of the black twill BDU pants he was wearing. And trying not to drool.

Then he looked up and caught her staring and grinned, "Quistis! What brings you down here?" Quistis opened her mouth and tried to find her voice, and hopefully not say anything moronic, but wasn't able to.

Just then, one of the other SeeDs looked around, frowning, and asked, "Hey, Kess? Where's our lunch?"

Quistis exchanged a glance with Kessia and Kessia said, "We'll be right back." Then they both turned and headed back up the passageway to where they'd dropped their packages. Hopefully, none of the resident creatures had consumed it.

After they left, one of the male SeeDs sighed dramatically, "Ah, be still my heart, the lovely Quistis herself? How do we rate?"

Reya snorted, "Kess told me she was helping her carry the drinks down."

Just then Kris gave Nida's shoulder a shove and said, "If you ask me, I think it was Nida she was down here for. Did you see how she was staring at him? Like she'd just run through the desert to find a tall, cool drink waiting at the end."

"Dude. Please, for the love of Hyne, for the rest of us who have pined for Instructor Trepe, _please_ go for it." another of the guys encouraged him.

Nida frowned, feeling uncomfortable, saying, "Guys, knock it off."

"Just sayin'. She looked like she wanted to eat you alive." The young man said.

"God, I _wish_!" said another of the SeeDs. Nida glared at him, and behind his back, two of the girls exchanged a knowing glance.

The sound of approaching footsteps fortunately put a stop to the comments, for which Nida was immensely grateful. He hadn't missed the hungry look in her eyes, and it was making him wish it were Friday already. He could feel his blood heating just from the slow glance from head to foot she'd given him. It was going to be a long week.

And another goddamned cold shower.

The food and drinks were fortunately intact and delivered to the hungry SeeDs. Nida grabbed a cold bottle of water and drank it down, feeling much better for the cool slide of liquid down his throat. The rest of the SeeDs followed suit. Then he grabbed a second bottle and held it out to Quistis.

"Here. You look like you could use this. It's hot down here." He said.

"Thanks," she said, accepting it and taking a sip.

"Nice of you to help Kessie with all that stuff." Nida said, smiling.

"It was no trouble. She looked like she could use a hand." Quistis said with a shrug.

"So I heard you went to the fire caverns this morning. Who'd you go with?" Nida asked.

"Cadet Howe." Quistis answered him.

"How did she do?" He asked her.

"Really well. She's really mastered the two-blade style. It's impressive watching her fight, she didn't summon her GF once." Quistis answered proudly.

Nida raised his eyebrows and asked, "Really? You mean she just _beat_ Ifrit into submission?"

"Essentially, yes." Quistis answered.

"Wow. And cadet Howe, she's the tiny little brunette, right? Five-foot nothing? Hundred pounds soaking wet?" Nida asked her.

Quistis laughed softly at Nida's disbelief and answered, "Yes. It's even more impressive when you take that into account. But she's quick as a cat, that one. She can hold her own against anyone."

"I've no doubt. Well, maybe if she passes her field exam, we'll see if she's interested in joining the fencing team. The SeeD games are coming up soon and they could always use good people. What kind of swords does she use?" Nida asked.

"Twin sabers, but about a hand shorter than the standard. She says it makes it easier to draw them, though she does sacrifice a bit on reach." Quistis answered, then tilted her head slightly, studying Nida, and asked him, "You know, I've never thought of this, but what kind of sword do _you_ use?"

"Basic longsword." Nida answered, retrieving it and pulling it from the scabbard. The plain, unadorned weapon had a basket hilt to protect the wielder's hand and was roughly a meter long, give or take. It was edged, and razor sharp, on both sides and came down to a sharp point.

"It's nothing special, really, but pretty adaptable. I can use it either with a one-hand or two-hand grip, depending on if I'm cutting, slashing or thrusting." Nida said, stepping back and demonstrating with it.

"It's not as heavy as a gunblade, and has a better balance. It's easier to learn to use too, although mastering its subtleties can take easily as long as mastering the gunblade." Nida explained.

Quistis' mouth had gone dry again, watching as Nida demonstrated the various moves he used with his weapon. The shift and flex of his muscles as he moved was mesmerizing, and the easy grace he displayed while going through the movements was…. elegant. Beautiful even.

She knew that once a weapon was mastered, the user could then display surprising elegance even while using it to deadly purpose. Like Squall with his gunblade, or Quistis with her whip. Lethal grace elevated to high art.

Quistis had no idea that Nida was such an accomplished swordsman that he could carelessly display such beauty.

Nida slid the sword back into its sheath, and Quistis shivered at the quiet hiss, her mind seizing the suggestive imagery and running with it. Then she remembered to breathe, her lungs suddenly feeling starved for air.

Fumbling with the cap on her water bottle, Quistis sucked down the contents, hoping to moisten her dry mouth and cool off.

"It doesn't do as much damage as a gunblade maybe, but it can be just as effective in close quarters." He commented, laying the sword aside.

Quistis nodded, thinking, _Yeah. I'll bet. VERY effective._ She had to get out of there before she melted…both literally and figuratively. And she needed another goddamned cold shower. Now.

"Well, I uh…. I'd better go. Let you eat your lunch, finish your work…" Quistis said, gesturing vaguely back the way she'd come.

"I'm glad you came down." Nida said softly.

Quistis nodded, stepping backward, saying, "I'll see you…"

"Friday." Nida finished.

"Right. Friday." Quistis confirmed, turning around awkwardly and nearly stumbling into a valve wheel before finding her balance and striding confidently away.

Nida let out a slow breath, watching her walk away, and enjoying every second he could before she disappeared into the steamy darkness.

He nearly jumped when a hand punched his shoulder, and Reya grinned at him, "Don't forget to eat loverboy. You need to keep your strength up." He took the sandwich she offered with a bemused smile.

"Thanks, Reya." He said, turning away to find a place to sit down and finally eat his lunch. Yeah, it was going to be a long week. He couldn't wait until Friday.


	3. The Shape of Things

"Good morning, everyone. I appreciate you coming to meet with me." Cid addressed the assembled SeeDs. He had called this gathering, held in one of Balamb Garden's largest classrooms, in order to encourage his top SeeDs to participate in the upcoming SeeD games.

"I requested you all specifically because you are all at the top of your various disciplines. Taryn is one of our best swimmers, Zell is consistently at the top in the hand to hand rankings, Nida is one of the strongest and most versatile members of our track team, and so on. Some of you have already signed up to participate, and those of you who have not I encourage you to do so. The first round of qualification begins soon, so you might all want to start getting ready." Cid said.

Shuffling some papers on the podium in front of him, he continued, "Now, I know you've all gotten the dates of the qualifying events, and the list and times of the various events that are going to be run in this year's games. Study them carefully before you sign up, you don't want to overextend yourselves. Now, I'm going to step aside and turn the floor over to our team captain, Squall."

Cid yielded the floor to Squall, who glanced at a sheet of paper he held before addressing the assembly, "I'm not going to take a great deal of time here, but I am going to go over a few things. First of all is this: I'm only team captain if I qualify for the events I signed up for. And yes, I _am_ participating. Likewise with those of you that I've chosen to captain the various groups that are representing Balamb Garden's team as a whole. You'll all need to qualify in order to participate, and your captain status is based upon that. These are the preliminary selections only, out of those who've actually signed up and made a commitment to compete."

Glancing down at the list he held, Squall continued, "The captain for the fencing team will be Kerren. For the track and field team, I've selected Nida. For swimming, Alysse. Mixed martial arts, Herron." A loud groan sounded from the back of the room, and Squall glanced up to find its source.

A small smile quirked the corner of his mouth and he said, "Sorry Zell, but we all know you're a better fighter when you can focus completely on that." Zell frowned in disappointment and rested his chin on his fist, sighing.

Squall continued reading the names of the various team captains, then yielded the floor back to Cid.

"Those of you who remember the last SeeD games we participated in, five years ago, know what an enriching and challenging experience it was. And yes, it was also a lot of fun. We didn't win the team trophy then, but it's my hope that we'll manage that this year. We have some truly talented athletes that have already committed to compete, so I'd say our chances look pretty good. I'm going to conclude this meeting with a sincere, 'good luck' to all of you. Let's have some fun and show the rest of the gardens what we're made of. Good day, all of you." Cid finished his speech, releasing the assemblage to return to their duties.

Nida sat for a moment, still absorbing the fact that Squall had chosen him as the track team's captain. He hadn't expected that, really. It wasn't false pride that made him think that, he knew what his abilities were. But there were other, equally capable people on the team, each who could have done just as good a job.

"Are you going to go for the first qualifier?" Squall asked him, stopping on his way out.

Nida stood, and shrugged, "Might as well. Get it out of the way early, and if I don't qualify, I've got a couple more chances before the games."

"You've got to qualify for _all_ of your events, don't you, to go for the decathlon." Squall stated. Nida nodded.

Squall let out a breath and shook his head, "I don't envy you. I feel like I've got it easy by comparison, all I have to do is qualify for the marathon. And the gunblade fencing."

"Aren't you doing the A-level combine as well?" Nida asked him.

Squall nodded, answering, "Yeah, but I don't need to qualify. I've already done it twice. Anyone who signs up can do it provided they've completed the course at least once before."

Nida shook his head, "Better you than me. Once was enough." Then he added, "You know, I'm actually kind of surprised that you decided to try for the games. You've never been what we'd call a 'joiner'."

Squall raised his eyebrows and responded, "I'm still not. With the exception of the gunblade fencing, everything I'm interested in competing for is a solitary pursuit."

Nida chuckled, "You're right. I just realized it. But still, no one exists in a vacuum. And in spite of yourself, you've still ended up team captain."

"Cid's idea." Squall shrugged.

"Well, good luck. If you need any pointers on the marathon, ask me. I'd be happy to help." Nida offered.

Squall smiled slightly at that, realizing that he was technically part of the track team even though he was only running the one event. And Nida was his captain…in _that_ pursuit, anyway.

"Thank you. Talk to you later Nida." Squall nodded then left.

Nida followed him out, hurrying to the lift and back down to the MD level. He still had work to do.

 _But_ … it was Friday. He was more than halfway through his "tour of Hell". The filters had all been replaced, all the valves, gauges and sensors checked, problems addressed, and so far everything looked good. There were more things to do of course, the desalination tanks had to be checked, and the osmotic filters changed, for example.

Another, more dangerous task on the list of things to do was added when Nida reached the MD level that day: a nest of grendels had taken up residence near the power core and were leaching off of it, causing dangerous fluctuations in the power levels.

Too many of those, and the core would shut down and have to be restarted. Then it would be several days' worth of changing out fuses and resetting switches. Garden would be grounded, and the field exam put in jeopardy.

Worst-case scenario of course was that Quistis or Squall would simply have to fly them out in the Ragnarok. But it was a point of pride with Nida to keep everything under his watch as shipshape as possible.

"What do you think Nida?" Kris asked him when he joined the rest of the crew.

He narrowed his eyes at the small, dragon-like monsters that seemed to think the power core was a good place to make a home. They'd need some pretty serious firepower; grendels were nasty creatures, and they were difficult to kill. Because of that, they couldn't attack them anywhere near the core or they would risk doing more harm than good.

"We have to lure them away from the core." Nida said.

"Who gets to be the bait?" Reya asked.

"Who's fastest?" Nida asked, looking around at the group.

"I am." A young man spoke up. Nida recognized him as one of their best sprinters.

"All right Ben. You're bait then. Don't get too close, give yourself a good lead otherwise they'll be on you before we can help." Nida told him. Then he looked around for a good place to engage the creatures.

The area that they currently were gathered in was a good spot; it was far enough from the core that any magic or Guardian summons shouldn't affect it, it was narrow enough that the grendels couldn't flank them, but wide enough to allow them room to maneuver.

"Okay, check your junctions people, and spread out. I want you all along the walls here, keep your backs guarded, and get ready. Reya?" Nida asked, turning to her.

"Yeah?" She asked him in turn.

"Get the medkit ready. I hope we've all got cure spells stocked, but we might need the potions as well, just in case." Nida told her, then he drew his sword and said, "Okay Ben, bring them up."

The young man nodded and cautiously approached the power core. Nida watched, tense. Grendels were unpredictable creatures, and their worst aspect was their tendency to attack in packs. _One_ grendel was tough enough to kill, but three or more? Nearly impossible. Nida didn't want to think about their chances of killing all _six_ of the monsters that they were trying to lure.

Fortunately, because another of the monster's traits was its unusual territoriality and high aggression, all Ben had to do was to show himself as a threat. He didn't have to get too close to do that. Nida watched him gain the attention of the grendels by shouting and brandishing his weapon, then he sprinted back the way he came, the grendels giving chase with lightning speed.

Nida knew things were going to go bad however the moment Ben started his sprint. The largest of the grendels, what Nida judged to be the alpha of the pack, was right on the boy's heels before he'd even gotten halfway back. In two bounds, the monster was on him, slashing him open with the razor sharp scales in its tail.

"BEN!" Nida gasped in horror, casting Stop on the attacking monster before it could do any more damage. It froze in place, stopped in mid-leap. Nida knew the spell wouldn't hold it for long however.

Racing over to the young man's side, Nida called back to the other SeeDs, "Everyone! Cast Slow or Stop on these things! They're too fast otherwise!" Then he grabbed Ben's hand and dragged him roughly back, away from the rest of the attacking Grendels. He knew the young SeeD was gravely injured but he only had enough time to get him out of harm's way.

"Hang in there buddy," He urged as he brought him back to the rest of the group. Reya took charge of him, casting Cure and giving him a draft of healing potion to boot. Nida shuddered as he got a good look at the wound. The damn Grendel had nearly eviscerated the boy.

But there was no time to worry about it now. They had six angry Grendels attacking, each bent on slashing them to pieces.

Nida flung a protect spell at the injured SeeD, then ran back to the front of the group, yelling, "Cast protect on yourselves, it'll reduce the damage!" He settled himself, sword ready, and cast the spell on himself as well.

Then the grendels were on them, and it was a blur of snarling, dripping maws, razor-sharp claws and those wicked tailblades flashing and slashing at them. Even casting slow didn't help. Fully half of the spells missed. The GFs however _did_ help.

Nida fended off one attacking Grendel, dodging and parrying it with his sword while waiting for Aeryon to show up. When it did, its firaga attack disabled the monster enough that Nida was able to kill it. There was no time to even breathe however before the next Grendel attacked.

He dodged and ducked, but the Grendel was too fast. A razor thin ribbon of fire bloomed along his side, and Nida felt the warmth of his blood beginning to dampen his shirt. He parried the next slice and desperately called out for Aeryon again.

This time however, when the GF made its stooping attack, the Grendel was ready for it and it reared up, attacking the Guardian with both clawed forepaws, casting thundaga as well. Aeryon shrieked, wounded, and disappeared again.

"Damn it!" Nida cursed, then reached desperately for a Slow spell. The damn monster was too fast for him, his injury was slowing him to a fatal degree. He had to slow it down or he wouldn't have a chance. He focused and cast the spell just as the Grendel charged.

And he sagged in relief as the monster slowed noticeably. Just enough that Nida was able to dodge the attack, parry its attempt to seize him in its jaws, then cast a meltdown spell to weaken it. Then he hit it with everything he had left, casting flare and raining blow upon blow at the thing before it finally died with a shriek.

He sagged in relief, panting heavily, and then dropped to his knees as a wave of dizziness hit him. He glanced down at his side, surprised to see the amount of blood that was leaking from his wound. He took a deep breath and cast a cure spell, sighing as the wound closed, the pain eased and the bleeding stopped.

Then he looked around at the carnage and swallowed. Six grendels. All dead, but it had taken nine SeeDs to kill them…. and three of those SeeDs…

"No…" Nida whispered, struggling to his feet and staggering over to one of the prone bodies. Kessie. Ripped from groin to breastbone, and there was no saving her. Nida tried, desperately casting Curaga on her even as she died under his hands.

"Reya!" He called out, "I need a phoenix down! Now!" No answer. He turned, looking for her and saw her slumped over Ben's body, motionless.

"Reya?" he whispered, eyes filling. "Gods.." He went over and checked her, hoping that she was just out, KO'd. He pulled her off of Ben and laid her down, knowing that she was dead as soon as he saw her injuries. The Protect spell had held, and Ben was out but breathing. But the spell had deflected a grendel's attack to Reya, and her throat had been slashed.

Blinking tears away from his eyes, he grabbed desperately for the medkit, looking for a phoenix down. It wasn't too late…he still had time… But it was. For Reya anyway…. but not for Kessie. Grabbing the phoenix down, he hurried over to her and applied it… she hadn't been dead too long, it could work.

He sagged, scrubbing tears off his face as she took a breath and looked around dazedly. He quickly cast Curaga on her to heal her wounds.

"N-Nida..." she began, and he shushed her.

"Later Kessie. Just rest. We got 'em all, don't worry." He patted her shoulder and got up to help the other SeeDs. The other two casualties were beyond help. One had been decapitated, the other sliced in half by the large alpha's tailblade attack.

Nida circulated among the survivors, checking injuries and casting Curaga spells until he ran out. Then he simply sagged against a bulkhead, sliding down until he was sitting on the ground, staring dully at nothing.

"Nida?" it was Kris. Blood spattered and exhausted, but alive.

"Yeah?" Nida answered tonelessly.

"What do we do now?" He asked.

Nida sighed, running his fingers through his hair, before answering, "I'll call for a retrieval team. You guys can go. We're done for the day."

The rest of the SeeDs gathered around him, one of the young men saying, "If its all the same to you, we'd like to wait for the team with you."

Nida nodded, "All right." Then he got up and approached the power core. Opening a box next to it, he opened a commlink to the bridge, knowing it would route to Squall's office if the bridge weren't manned.

"Commander Leonhart. This is Nida. I need a retrieval team sent down to the MD level." He said.

"Casualties?" Squall's voice asked.

"Five. Three dead, two seriously injured." Nida reported.

"Status on the injured?" Squall requested.

"Stable. Curaga and potions took care of the worst of it, but one of them is still unconscious and the other one... I had to use a phoenix down on her." Nida answered.

There was a pause of several heartbeats, then Squall's voice came back on the comm., "Dr. Kadowaki's sending a team down now. See me when you come back up."

"Yes, sir." Nida replied and signed off.

* * *

Quistis was in the infirmary with one of her students, a cadet that experienced a bad reaction to grat spores and needed immediate attention when Dr. Kadowaki's cellphone rang.

"Dr. Kadowaki." She answered it while readying an adrenaline shot for the unfortunate cadet.

"Commander Leonhart, how can I help you?" the doctor asked, then turned to Quistis, saying, "Hold her steady, will you Quistis? Oh, sorry sir, I have a cadet with an unfortunate allergy to grat spores. Poor thing went into anaphylactic shock during a training center session. She'll be fine, I'm administering the adrenaline now."

Then she frowned at the indistinct voice on the other end of the phone, asking, "How many casualties?" she nodded at the answer, then asked, "Status on the injured? Okay. I'll send a team down now. Thank you."

Turning back to her patient, the doctor checked her breathing, seeing a marked reduction in the swelling around the girl's throat.

"She should be okay Quistis, but if you don't mind I'd like you to stay and keep an eye on her for a little while." The doctor instructed, preparing to leave the room.

"Wait. Dr. Kadowaki, Squall just called requesting a retrieval team, didn't he?" Quistis asked, feeling her own throat close up with fear. _"I'll send a team down now."_ Down. To the MD level. Someone had died down there today.

 _Oh, Hyne. Not Nida, please…_

She sagged in relief at the doctor's reply, "Yes. Nida called it in."

"Do you know what happened?" she asked.

The doctor shook her head, "not yet. I'm sure Squall will be interviewing Nida about it when he comes up." Quistis nodded.

The doctor left, calling for one of her assistants. Rinoa wasn't in today, it was her day off. Quistis had found Rinoa's interest in learning to use her powers to heal a wise choice for the young sorceress. Should the public become aware of her status as a sorceress, the fact that she was using her powers in such a positive manner should help prove to the world as a whole that she was no threat.

It was no wonder that she did so with Squall's full support. He, more than anyone, knew what she faced if word leaked out that she was a sorceress… married to the SeeD commander. It worried Quistis sometimes, knowing the prejudice they both faced.

What worried her the most however was the possibility of having to fight them both sometime in the future. Squall had made no secret of his commitment to her. He had _married_ her, for Hyne's sake. Quistis knew, if Rinoa were threatened, Squall would stand by her, even to facing down all the SeeDs by himself on her behalf.

Quistis shook her head, abandoning that line of thought. She doubted anything like that would happen, not when Rinoa had formed such close friendships here in Garden in the years since she'd first arrived.

She turned her attention back to the young cadet, who was breathing easily now. Another worry for Quistis. She'd never had to deal with a SeeD candidate with such sensitivity before. Allergies were rare among cadets, and those that exhibited them were usually ruled out of the SeeD program altogether and directed toward alternative career paths.

But this girl was different. She wasn't allergic to anything else, and nobody had thought to test her for grat spores. She scored high marks in everything else, and had the potential to make a great SeeD… if it weren't for the allergy.

Quistis sighed. Perhaps they could conduct a regimen of inoculations to desensitize the girl. It was only the one allergy…. albeit one that could easily kill her.

The sound of urgent activity drew Quistis to the doorway of the cadet's room, and she watched as two gurneys were wheeled past with an unconscious SeeD upon each one. While both were bathed in blood, the lack of urgency indicated that they were out of immediate danger.

Voices from the main exam room caught Quistis' attention.

"I'm fine doctor. I've healed myself." Nida's voice, protesting Dr. Kadowaki's insistence on checking his injuries.

"I know but I need to check anyway. Now take off your shirt please." The doctor said firmly.

"Ah!" Nida again, exclaiming in pain as the doctor examined him.

"Humph. Cast a low level spell, just enough to stop the bleeding, eh?" Dr. Kadowaki asked him.

"All I had time for." He answered.

"Well, here. This should finish the job." The doctor said.

Quistis was tempted to go into the exam room and see for herself that Nida was all right, but she didn't want to leave her cadet unattended. At least not until Dr. Kadowaki pronounced the girl out of danger.

"Thanks doc." Nida said.

"Go on and talk to Squall. I'll see to the rest of your team." Dr. Kadowaki assured him.

Quistis returned to her cadet's side, noting that the girl's color was improving. She sighed, waiting for Dr. Kadowaki to return and check on her. With several SeeDs to look over, Quistis knew it could take awhile.

Even though she knew now that Nida was uninjured, she still worried. What had happened? The only way Quistis would know would be to ask Nida. And he was even now on his way to give his report to Squall.

* * *

Nida knocked on the door to Squall's office with a tired sigh. While he wanted a shower and a few hours to recover from that morning's events, he knew he had to tell Squall what happened now while it was still fresh in his mind.

"Come in," Squall's voice invited.

Nida did as directed and shut the door behind him, approaching Squall's desk.

"What happened down there?" Squall asked him. Nida snorted inwardly. Squall was never one to waste time on pleasantries. Then again, what they had to discuss was far from pleasant anyway, and there was no point to pretending otherwise. Pretense was another thing Squall refused to waste time on.

Nida sighed, running his fingers through his hair before answering, "We came across a nest of grendels that had taken up residence near the power core. I'd noticed the containment levels fluctuating and decided to check it out today and that's what we found. They'd been leaching the energy off of it, draining it. Well, I couldn't let that continue, if the power levels fluctuated too much, the core would shut down as a failsafe."

Squall nodded, then asked him in a neutral tone, "So you decided to handle it."

Nida nodded, answering forthrightly, "It's part of what we were down there for. We'd handled everything that had come at us up to that point." So far, Squall had simply been asking questions and gathering facts. It was oddly comforting to have his commander simply asking questions of him, reserving judgment until all the facts were gathered.

"What was your plan?" Squall asked him.

"Well, like I said, we'd handled everything else pretty well. We all had good, strong GF junctions, plenty of defensive and healing magic, the medkit if we ran out of cure spells… There were six grendels, but nine of us. I thought it might be kind of close there, those numbers, but again, I figured we had the edge." Nida explained, and then continued, "The plan was to have Ben lure them out to us. We were in a good, defensive position, just enough space for us to maneuver but not so much that they could flank us. We had an out if we needed to as well. If we had to we could retreat up the passageway and out."

Squall nodded, but remained silent, waiting for Nida to finish telling his story.

Closing his eyes briefly, Nida swallowed, then said, "Unfortunately, fast as Ben was, the alpha of the pack, it was faster. It caught him in just two bounds and sliced him open with its tailblade. I cast Stop on it, and told everyone else to cast Slow on the things, and Protect on themselves, otherwise we wouldn't have a chance. Then I ran out and grabbed Ben, dragging him back to Reya, who cast cure on him. I cast Protect on him as well, then left him in Reya's hands." Reya… _why_ hadn't she cast protect on herself?

"Reya didn't cast protect on herself?" Squall asked him.

Nida shook his head, "I don't know. I don't think so. If she did, she wasn't able to recast when it wore off."

"What about the others?" Squall asked him.

"Honestly? I don't know. Things happened so fast…I know about half of the Slow spells that were cast missed. Maybe those other SeeDs… Rick, Trace… they didn't have time to cast protect before they were…. killed. I lost Kessie too, but thank Hyne, I was able to get a phoenix down to her before it was too late. But I couldn't save the others." Nida said, voice beginning to shake.

"But you killed all six of the grendels." Squall stated.

"Yes." Nida answered quietly. The entire interview thus far had taken on a surreal quality. He was calmly relating facts, with Squall simply taking it in. No emotional displays, no judgments, no recriminations or accusations. Just the facts.

And one damning fact that neither seemed to be willing to speak of or acknowledge. Three SeeDs under Nida's command had died. And it was his fault.

"Do you feel you could have done anything differently?" The question was quietly, emotionlessly asked, but Nida felt it cut straight to his heart.

Nida let out a breath and looked away, then answered softly, "I don't know. Double check our junctions maybe, when we saw what we were up against. Perhaps bring more SeeDs down, or stronger GFs…." His voice trailed off.

"Nida." Squall's quiet voice caught his attention. Nida looked up, swallowing, expecting to see…condemnation, disappointment, and anger…before he realized that Squall wasn't like that. He wasn't that kind of a commander. Instead he saw…not _compassion_ exactly, but calm conviction. Confidence.

"I'm not in the habit of second guessing my SeeDs. I've always trusted your judgment and I see no reason to stop doing so. Were I in your position, would I have done anything differently? Probably not, beyond what you yourself just said. Stronger GF's, magics, and so on. I'm actually impressed that you came out of it with only three fatalities. The last extermination team that ran afoul of some grendels came out much worse, and they only tackled three of them." Squall said.

Nida remained silent. It was almost worse, the fact that Squall trusted him so implicitly. Squall wasn't blaming him for anything, but that didn't stop Nida from blaming himself.

"It's the price of command Nida. You do your best to keep the people you're responsible for alive. You choose your ground carefully, ready your weapons, your strategy…. But in the end, when the fighting starts, everyone is responsible for their own survival. You can't anticipate sheer bad luck. A missed spell, a missed step, A GF knocked out of the fight at a crucial moment. All of these things, and a dozen, a hundred more, could result in a fatality for either yourself or one of your team members. Were _you_ at fault for the deaths of those three SeeDs? No. They knew what they were facing; you prepared your strategy and your location to the best of your ability. You gave them every chance possible to survive. _Yes_ , you were responsible for them, but you did _not_ cause their deaths." Squall told him firmly.

"But I led them… and they died…" Nida whispered.

"They were volunteers Nida. They _chose_ to follow you." Squall stated. Nida nodded, and took a deep breath.

Clearing his throat, he asked hesitantly, "Did…any of them have families?" He didn't remember hearing them talking about having anyone significant in their lives, but then perhaps it just never came up. Not everyone wanted to talk about his or her personal lives. The person sitting in front of him was a perfect illustration of that.

"I'll handle the notifications Nida. That's _my_ job. My least favorite part of it, to be honest, but that also is the price of command." Squall said.

"What will you tell them?" Nida asked.

"What they need to hear. Nothing more." Squall answered.

"Tell them I'm sorry." Nida said.

Squall nodded. "Okay. Is there any additional information you feel pertinent to this?"

Nida shook his head, saying, "No."

"If I have any additional questions or require anything more from you regarding this incident, I'll contact you. Until then, you're dismissed. See me before you go back down there on Monday." Squall said.

"Thank you, sir." Nida said, snapping off a smart salute before leaving.

He headed back to his rooms, still feeling numb and exhausted. He knew the numbness was just on the surface however. Underneath it, he ached. Reya. Trace. Rick. They'd become friends as they'd worked together. They were good SeeDs, all three of them. Very competent. But even the best SeeD in the world can't beat sheer bad luck.

And that was all it was, it later turned out. Rick had been decapitated by a tailblade attack while in the middle of casting a protect spell, while Trace had suffered a similar fate while summoning his GF. Reya's throat had been slashed by a deflected attack meant for Ben. None of the SeeDs blamed Nida for their deaths. They were all professionals and they all knew what their odds were.

The first thing Nida did upon entering his apartment was to strip off his clothing and head straight for the shower. He was filthy and sticky with dried blood and sweat, and his skin crawled with the need to be clean.

Once that task was accomplished (and Nida felt much better for having done it), he dried off and got dressed. Then sat down heavily upon his bed, wondering what to do next.

He was done for the day, despite the fact that it wasn't even noon yet. Squall didn't expect him to go back down to the MD level today, just as Nida didn't expect his team to be ready to go back there either. But he didn't simply want to sit and stare at the walls. Nor did he want to circulate among the other SeeDs and cadets, and have to retell the story about what had happened again and again.

Then his gaze fell and then lingered upon his empty duffel bag. Without even thinking about it, he grabbed it and tossed it onto his bed. Then he started packing. He had the entire weekend, and didn't want to be in Garden at the moment. He just needed to get the hell out for a few days. Maybe he'd go to Deling City for the weekend.

He'd just about finished packing when he remembered: Quistis. Their date. He frowned. Maybe she'd like to go along? Only way to find out would be to ask her.

He finished his packing thoughtfully, deciding to incorporate his date plans into the trip, if she decided to go with him. If not, well, he could endure another day at Garden to take her out tonight, then leave for Deling City in the morning.

Leaving his packed duffel on his bed, he went in search of her.

* * *

"She's going to be fine Quistis. The swelling's gone down, and I think after a little rest, she'll be back to normal." Dr. Kadowaki assured the instructor.

"What are we going to do about her sensitivity? She's already in the SeeD program; it would be terribly unfair to kick her out of it now." Quistis said, worried.

"Well, we can try allergy shots to see if that helps Quistis, but if it doesn't, she may have to face facts and chose another career path. How fair would it be to put her out in the field where a chance whiff of those spores could kill her?" Dr. Kadowaki told her.

Quistis sighed. It wouldn't be fair at all. "I'll talk to her about it when she's recovered then. See what she wants to do."

Dr. Kadowaki nodded, "Okay then. Well, you have a good day Quistis." She turned toward the door, but Quistis stopped her.

"Wait. Doctor, do you know what happened with Nida's team?" Quistis asked her.

"I only know that the retrieval team brought up two injured SeeDs and three dead ones. Nida and the rest were fine, though he needed a small dose of potion to finish up what his cure spell didn't fix. If you want the full story, you'll have to ask him." The doctor said.

Quistis nodded, "thank you doctor." Dr. Kadowaki nodded and left.

Quistis left the infirmary, wondering if Nida might still be giving his report to Squall. Wondering how he might be handling what had happened. Yes, he was a SeeD and it was part of the job but still…. It was never easy to lose a friend, a colleague, particularly when you were the one in charge of the action that caused their death.

Quistis headed toward the offices to see if she could catch up with Nida there and possibly offer her support. Upon arriving there however, she learned from Xu that he'd already left.

"How'd he look?" Quistis asked. She didn't think Squall would be rough on him about what had happened, that wasn't his style.

"He looked like he was still in shock a little bit. I think he went back to his apartment to take a shower. He was kind of a mess." Xu told her.

"Thanks." Quistis said, leaving the office floor. She headed back down to the first floor and back toward the dorms. Toward Nida's room.

She saw him walking up the hallway as she was walking down. He saw her and smiled slightly as they continued toward each other until they finally stood face to face.

Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears as she saw how tired, and how sad he looked. He'd obviously taken the loss of his colleagues hard. But _he_ was alive, and uninjured. Quistis shied away from thinking about why that was so important to her.

But she suddenly wanted to hold him, not only for her own comfort, but for his as well. So she slowly approached him and silently slid her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly, leaning her head on his chest. His breath hitched and he hugged her back, nearly crushing her in his fierce hold.

They stayed that way for several moments before Nida pulled back and gazed down at her, eyes bright with as yet unshed tears.

"I need to get out of here for a couple of days. Clear my head. I want you to come with me. Will you?" He asked her softly.

Without even thinking about it, Quistis answered, "yes."


	4. Ride Sally Ride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4: Ride Sally, Ride.

Chapter 4: Ride Sally, Ride.

Nida waited while she packed, feeling his spirits lighten at the prospect of her company. Despite the fact that he was basically fleeing Garden to lick his wounds, he knew he shouldn't be alone. The temptation to drink himself into insensibility over this was too strong, and that wasn't a direction that Nida wanted to go.

He wasn't stupid. He knew where that slippery slope would lead him. He'd seen it in far too many SeeDs that'd had missions go bad.

But he didn't want to deal with the pain. Not yet. He wasn't ready to. So, he took a different tack and invited a beautiful woman with him to a weekend getaway. He hoped the diversion would help. He also hoped that it would end up as more than _just_ a diversion for Quistis, as it likely would be for him.

So, for the time being he shoved the pain aside to deal with later.

Once Quistis had packed, he picked up her duffel and carried it along with his own out to the parking area. He'd have liked to walk with his arm around her, but the extra burdens precluded it.

As they walked, Nida's expression gradually lightened and he smiled suddenly, remembering an important introduction that was now imminent.

Seeing his smile, Quistis smiled back and commented, "You know, I'm never usually this impulsive. I don't even know where we're going."

"Deling City." Nida answered her.

"Are we taking the train?" she asked him.

Nida's smile broadened and he answered, "No."

She frowned, puzzled, "how are we getting there then?"

He chuckled softly, saying, "Quisty, you're about to meet my sweet Sally. I've been dying to introduce you to her."

Quistis stared at him, heart dropping like a lead ball right into her guts. _Sally?_ But she'd thought he wasn't dating anyone…

Trying to keep her voice steady and not let on how hurt she was, Quistis asked, "I take it she's important to you?"

"You could say that. She is, or rather _was_ , the love of my life, my passion, and my _obsession_ for years. When I found her, she was a beat up wreck. It took a lot of work and TLC, but she's as beautiful now as she ever was." Nida answered with a grin, knowing Quistis was getting the wrong idea and unable to resist teasing her a bit with it.

Quistis sighed. Nida was such a nice guy, taking care of an abused woman as tenderly as he'd said he had…it only made her feel worse at how jealous she was beginning to get of this _Sally_.

"How did you two meet?" Quistis asked dully.

"I found her in a junkyard in Galbadia, just going to waste. I picked her up, fixed her up, and we've been pretty much inseparable ever since. She can be a right temperamental bitch sometimes, and she's _very_ high maintenance, but she's also very generous and willing to share. You'll love her." Nida said.

Quistis stopped dead and glared at him, saying, "I don't know what you're thinking but I'll have you know that I'm not about to do…. whatever it is that you're implying!"

"Just what do you think I'm implying Quistis?" Nida asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"I…I don't know! But I'm not about to smile and be nice to this Sally if you expect me to share you with her! If that's what you had in mind, then I'm outta here!" Quistis turned to leave, bright spots of red on her cheeks. How had she misread Nida so badly?

"Quistis! Quiss, wait!" Nida protested, dropping their bags and grabbing her arm gently.

"What?" she demanded, glaring.

"I'm sorry. Trust me, there's nothing sexual between Sally and me. Just come and meet her and you'll see." Nida urged.

Quistis hesitated, then huffed, "Fine."

Putting his arm around her, Nida directed her to a secluded corner of the parking garage where a shrouded shape sat, all alone. She looked around, confused. There wasn't anybody there, just what looked like a car under a cover.

"Well, where is she then?" Quistis demanded.

Nida patted her shoulder and said, "Just wait here." Then he walked over to the car and whipped the cover off. Quistis' jaw dropped.

"Quisty. Meet my Sweet Sally." Nida said, smiling at her reaction and patting the hood proudly.

"That…that's a…" She stopped and just stared.

It was a Torama XJS Limited Edition, gleaming in satiny black and shining silver chrome. Only four hundred were ever made, and it was highly sought after by collectors everywhere. Of all the classic vehicles that existed in the world, _this_ was the one that true aficionados _drooled_ over.

Quistis understood immediately why Nida referred to it as a 'she'. The sinuous lines, the beautiful design and the uniqueness of the vehicle gave it a distinctly feminine personality.

That was, until they got into the car and Nida fired up the engine.

The throaty purr and the vibration from the powerful, well-tuned engine gave it a more muscular, masculine feel. And it was shivering right through to Quistis' bones, making her melt from the inside out and starting a pleasant tickle between her legs. Quistis had a feeling that if Nida had taken any of his _other_ dates out in this car, their reactions would have been similar to hers. And she wanted to jump him right then and there.

"You bastard. You had me believing that Sally was your girlfriend." Quistis looked over at him, unable to hold back a smile.

He laughed, "I know it was mean. But I couldn't resist. Besides, for a lot of years while I was putting her together, she _was_ my girlfriend."

"So, what's she got under the hood?" Quistis asked.

"4.9 liter flat 12 cylinder engine. Two hundred ninety-one kilowatts of power, and _tons_ of torque; she has a top speed of 290 km/hr, and she can go from zero to one hundred kilometers an hour in 5.3 seconds flat." Nida answered, shifting the car into gear. The engine growled throatily as Nida steered the car out of the parking area and headed toward Balamb.

"Wow. I never knew you owned a muscle car." Quistis said.

Nida snorted, "Sweetheart, this is not a _muscle_ car. This is a street-legal racecar."

"You ever open it up?" She asked him.

"Yeah, there's a drag strip outside of town." Nida answered. "She's just as fast as she ever was."

"You know, this still doesn't answer my original question of how we're getting to Deling City. In case you haven't noticed, we're on an island. Kind of hard to drive there from here." Quistis observed.

"That's what ferries are for, my dear." Nida grinned at her as he pulled up to the dock and waited his turn to load onto the ferry.

He grinned over at Quistis at the drop-jawed looks his car got as he paid the attendant for his ticket, flashed his and Quistis' passports, drove onto the ferry and parked.

Putting the car into gear and setting the brake, Nida got out and rounded the front of the car, intending to open the door for her. She surprised him however by beating him to it and getting out herself. Nida sighed and shook his head, and Quistis smiled at him.

"Come on Quistis, work with me here." Nida said.

She smiled again and took his hand, saying, "Okay." He smiled back at her and raised it to his lips, kissing it softly. The ferry hooted then and started to pull away from the dock.

"Thank you." He said, winking at her.

"Excuse me? Sir?" a small voice asked.

"Yes?" Nida looked down at a small blond-haired boy that was trying to get his attention. He couldn't have been more than six.

"What kind of car is this? I've never seen one like this before," the boy asked, awed.

"It's a Torama. And it's older than you are." Nida answered.

Quistis looked around the ferry as Nida took the boy's hand and brought him around to the front of the car, telling him about it. They'd drawn a good bit of interest, or at least, the _car_ had, with some onlookers actually taking pictures of it. Quistis couldn't help but smile as Nida took the boy around the car, answering his questions and telling him what he wanted to know.

He showed the boy the engine, the interior, and even let him sit in the driver's seat and step on the gas a bit (after putting the engine in neutral of course). The boy's father showed up while Nida was doing this, enjoying the spectacle as much as the rest of the crowd was. When they were done, the little boy jumped up and gave Nida a big hug to the sound of applause from the onlookers.

"Thank you! Wow, that was _cool_!" he said enthusiastically, then catching sight of his father ran up to him, exclaiming, "did you _see_ that daddy? Did you?"

His father hugged him, saying, "I sure did! That was pretty neat, wasn't it?"

"Yeah!" the boy said, gripping his father's hand.

The man turned to Nida, saying, "Thank you. This is some car. Pre-Sorceress War?"

Nida nodded, "Yes. _First_ sorceress war, and completely restored."

The man whistled in amazement, then stuck his hand out, saying, "It's a beauty."

Nida shook it, "Thank you." The man and his son disappeared back into the crowd, which mostly dispersed, though a few lingered behind, still captivated by the vintage automobile.

Nida leaned against the front bumper, and smiled over at Quistis. She smiled back, then pulled out her camera. The image in front of her was just too perfect _not_ to photograph. Gorgeous, dark-haired guy wearing ultra-cool sunglasses, black leather jacket, a crisp, white button up shirt with black jeans leaning against the front of an equally gorgeous car? What girl _wouldn't_ want a picture of that? Judging by the number of _other_ girls doing the same thing Quistis was doing, not too many.

"Smile Nida." Quistis said, framing the photo. Nida grinned brilliantly at her and she snapped the picture. _Hyne_ did he have a beautiful smile.

The afternoon sun drew blue sparks from Nida's black hair, and Quistis found herself endlessly fascinated by the way the light hit it. A breeze ruffled it, combing through her locks as well. The weather was perfect, not too warm, nor too cool.

All too soon, the ferry hooted its approach to the opposite shore, and they got back into the car, preparing to disembark.

"You _do_ know that this ferry only goes to Dollet, right?" Quistis asked as Nida started the car.

He gave her an exaggeratedly innocent look and exclaimed, "Really? Damn! Now I'll have to drive this car _all the way_ to Deling City. What a drag!"

Quistis shoved his shoulder and laughed. Nida chuckled and put the car into gear.

They cruised sedately through Dollet, though the distinctive sound of the car's engine was more than enough to turn heads even at a low speed. When they hit the highway between Dollet and Deling City, Nida dropped the hammer and showed Quistis exactly what his car was made of.

What followed was the most thrilling ride of Quistis' life. Nida shifted through the gears with lightning speed, the engine's sound shifting along with the gears from a purr, to a growl, to a roar, and then finally, a scream. The force from the car's acceleration pressed her back into the seat, and the engine's _vibration_ …well, by the time they got to Deling City, Nida was pretty much guaranteed to get laid.

A Galbadian State Trooper pulled them over about twenty miles outside of Deling City. Quistis caught her breath from the heart-pounding ride, and laughed breathlessly, smiling at Nida. He grinned back at her, and then indicated the rear view mirror. The cop was taking his time approaching the car, obviously studying it in detail.

The trooper indeed was doing exactly that. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, and even if the guy driving it _hadn't_ been speeding, he would have found a reason to pull the car over anyway, just to get a good look at it.

From the defiant flip of the rear spoiler, to the low-slung, aggressive stance, the fat tires on the back, the chrome rims, dual tailpipes and side strakes and the catlike slant to the headlamps on the front, the car practically _screamed_ speed.

And it more than delivered. He'd nearly missed it; the thing had flashed past him like a streak of black lightning and was nearly a kilometer down the road before he could blink.

Finally approaching the driver's side, the trooper asked, "Sir, do you know how fast you were going?"

"I think I had it just about pegged at 289 km/hr." Nida answered.

The cop stared at him, "Really?"

"Yup." Nida answered.

"Wow. What kind of car is this? I don't think I've ever seen one like it before." The cop asked.

"Torama XJS Limited Edition. Pre-sorceress war. Fully restored and fast as hell." Nida answered proudly.

"I can see that. Well, as beautiful as this car is, I'm afraid you're going to get a ticket for this." The officer said, flipping open his ticket booklet. "License and registration please?"

Nida handed over the requested items without argument.

"When I heard you screaming down the highway like that, I thought a tornado was coming." The cop said, indicating for Nida to sign the ticket.

"Yeah, she's got a distinctive sound, that's no doubt. She's a little flat on the top end on cylinder number four though. I'm gonna have to check it out when I get home." Nida said.

"You restored this yourself?" the cop asked, interested.

"Yeah. I had the interior reupholstered and the electrics redone professionally, as well as the paint and body, but I did the mechanical work myself." Nida answered.

The trooper nodded, and said, "nice job. You know, there's a regulation grand prix track out where the old D-district prison used to be. I'm sure they'll let you run your car there if you want to put it through its paces."

"Really? I'll have to check it out then. Thanks." Nida said.

Handing him the ticket along with his card, the trooper said, "No problem. If you decide to go, let me know. I'd dearly love to get behind the wheel of this thing."

"Okay." Nida said.

The officer patted the roof of the car and said, "Have a nice day. Drive carefully." Then he retreated back to his patrol car. He watched as Nida drove away. This time at a more sedate pace.

He shook his head. The guy couldn't have been more than twenty-one, maybe twenty-two. Good-looking, hot car, and a seriously gorgeous blond girlfriend… Some guys had all the luck. Then he frowned, remembering the ID he'd been given. He was also a SeeD out of Balamb Garden. He revised his opinion a bit, based on that. Let the SeeD have his hot car and girlfriend. Given his career choice, he likely wouldn't enjoy them long. The guy would be lucky to make it to thirty.

* * *

Nida grinned over at Quistis as they continued down the road toward Deling City.

"Quite a rush, huh?" he asked her.

She smiled back, responding, "You got a ticket out of it."

Nida shrugged, "It was worth it." Quistis raised her eyebrows and snatched the ticket out of the glove compartment, reading it.

"Six hundred and fifty gil worth?" Quistis asked him incredulously.

"Yes." Nida answered firmly, and grinned unrepentantly at her. She shook her head.

"Well, at least now you know where an actual racetrack is so you won't get another ticket." Quistis said.

"There is that. If I go, I'll be sure to invite that cop along. I'd love to see his reaction to driving Sally." Nida said. Then he slanted a look over at her and asked, "Do _you_ want to drive her?"

Quistis stared at him, and asked, "You mean, _now_?"

"Yes." Nida answered, finding a good spot to pull over and stopping the car. "Now."

"You're serious." Quistis said, incredulous.

"Very. Give her a try. I'd love to see you drive her." Nida said, unbuckling his seat belt and getting out. Quistis did the same, meeting him at the front of the car.

"You don't have to do this you know." Quistis said.

"I know." Nida said, and leaned forward, kissing her softly. He didn't do this for just anyone, and Quistis seemed to understand that. He smiled again and handed her his car keys, then went around to the passenger side of the car and got in.

Quistis got into the driver's seat and adjusted it, strapping herself in securely. The she inserted the key into the ignition and turned it on.

"Okay," Nida told her as the engine roared to life. "This car has a high-performance transmission, and the clutch is kind of touchy. You don't need much muscle to shift her. Go easy and she'll be just fine."

"Okay." Quistis said and shifted into first gear.

She didn't push the car the way Nida had, instead keeping it at a normal pace and simply enjoying the sound of the engine and the handling capability of the car. Well, she _did_ push it a little… but only a _little_. And she managed _not_ to get a speeding ticket.

When they arrived in Deling City and pulled up to the hotel, she told Nida, "Well, when you're right, you're right. I _do_ love your Sweet Sally."

Nida smiled at her, "Great. I'm sure she loves you too."

They got out of the car and Nida slipped his arm around her waist, taking the keys from her and handing them over to the valet.

"Treat her like the lady she is and bring her back to me without a scratch and there's fifty gil in it for you." Nida told the man.

"Okay sir!" the man grinned, studying the car appreciatively.

They grabbed their luggage from the boot at the front of the car and walked into the hotel. The car growled from behind them as the valet drove it off to park it.

They checked into the hotel, with Nida opting for a second room for Quistis, just in case. He didn't want to automatically assume anything would happen. They hadn't even gone out on a _date_ yet.

With that in mind, Nida asked Quistis as he opened the door to his room, "So, I know this was kind of…spur of the moment, but what do you want to do right now?"

He turned back to see what her response was and was surprised when Quistis dropped her bags just inside the doorway to his room and jumped him. He'd seen the look on her face while he'd been driving and knew what the engine vibrations had done to her… it had happened on more than one occasion with his other dates. While he wasn't a player on the level of Irvine Kinneas, he did pretty well in that area when he was of a mind to. But he was caught off guard when Quistis came up to him and pulled him into a searing hot, wet, arousing kiss.

He vaguely heard the door slam shut from Quistis kicking it while kissing him with her hands in his hair. He had just enough presence of mind to avoid stumbling over their bags as Quistis pushed him back toward the bed, pulling his jacket off and starting to unbutton his shirt.

"Quistis…Quiss…Quiss..." He gasped between kisses. Okay, he knew she was _jazzed_ _up_ by the car ride, but _damn_ , he didn't think she'd be this _aggressive_. Nida found it to be a _huge_ turn on for him.

"What?" she whispered while nibbling lightly at his neck. It sent warm shivers down to his toes, and Nida closed his eyes and pulled her close to him.

"I…I wanted to…. take you to dinner…then maybe dancing…." Nida whispered between kisses.

"Forget dancing." Quistis said, pulling his shirt off and raking her fingernails lightly down his chest, making Nida groan.

"Dinner?" he tried again, feeling his self-control slipping with every kiss, every caress.

"Room service." She whispered in response.

"Okay," He breathed. Nothing else was said. Nothing else _needed_ to be said.

Nida's lips found hers and he lost himself in the taste, the texture of her lips. His mind swam and his heart pounded as he pulled her body flush against his, groaning against her lips as her nails dug into his back, raking down it lightly.

He pulled back and trailed his lips down her neck, encouraging her head to fall back to allow him greater access. She moaned softly as he kissed and nibbled his way down her neck to where it flowed into her shoulder. As he was doing that, his fingers were busily working at the buttons on her blouse, opening it.

Nida broke off kissing her and let out a long breath when he saw what that opened blouse revealed to him. A white lace bra contained her full breasts; smooth, creamy skin covered her taut stomach, begging him to touch. So he did, slipping his hands under the opened blouse at Quistis' waist, sliding them around to her back and upward. Upon reaching the fastening at the back, he undid it with a deft twist, prompting Quistis to raise an eyebrow.

He gave her an unapologetic grin and then kissed her again. The shirt came off, as did the bra, and Nida transferred his attentions from Quistis' lips to her breasts. And they were _beautiful_. Perfect. Nida couldn't help lingering there, caressing them, kissing them, teasing their nipples until both stood erect while Quistis' moans grew louder and she tangled her fingers through his hair again.

Then she surprised Nida yet again by pushing him back. He laughed softly when he flopped backward onto the bed, then raised himself up onto his elbows and watched her, waiting to see what she would do next.

She unbuttoned her skirt and took it off, then leaned forward and started working at the fastenings on Nida's jeans. He couldn't hold back a groan when she slid them off and took him in hand. Just the _sight_ of her, stripped to nothing but a tiny pair of white lace panties was enough to make Nida's blood race. But having her _touch_ him as well, having her hands on him stroking him intimately, truly tested his control.

When her lips closed over him, Nida thought his heart would stop.

"Quistis…" He gasped. "Gods…" She laughed softly and Nida groaned again, closing his eyes and laying back on the bed. He had to. He couldn't watch what she was doing; he'd lose it completely.

He tried but there was no hope of any control. He gave himself up instead, left himself in Quistis' hands. She'd taken the lead and he was powerless in the face of the sweet torture he was enduring. She teased, tasted, stroked and stoked the tension to an unbearable level, and just when he got to the breaking point, she stopped, leaving him gasping and aching.

He sat up and reached for her, pulling her up onto the bed with him. He kissed her deeply; putting everything he had into the kiss, using his lips, his tongue, his whole body. He left her gasping, eyes half-closed, face flushed and beautiful.

He gave her a wicked grin then and whispered, "My turn."

He turned the tables on her and made _her_ writhe and moan as he took his time, starting from her lips, kissing her thoroughly, and moving to her ears, nibbling them. Then he worked his way slowly downward, kissing, sucking and nipping gently down her neck, lingering over her breasts, teasing her nipples. Leaving them behind, he continued downward, kissing his way down her midline, making her gasp again as he stuck his tongue into her navel briefly.

Reaching her pelvis, he gently drew her panties off, revealing that Quistis was a natural blond. He grinned again. He _knew_ it. The golden curls beckoned him and he reached out, touching and stroking the soft flesh. Then he bent down and tasted her, prompting her to gasp and squirm.

He proceeded to tease and torture her as she had him, making her writhe and gasp, then tremble and moan. She convulsively fisted her hands in his hair again, arching her back and crying out as he brought her to a shuddering climax.

"No fair!" she gasped, still panting and flushed. Nida chuckled, crawling upward until he was positioned over her.

"I'm not going for _fair_ , sweetheart. I'm going for _fantastic_." He whispered huskily, branding her with a searing kiss as he entered her.

Quistis might have said something in reply to that but found herself robbed of the power of speech and fighting for air yet again. Then all she could do was hold on and be transported to another place, another plane of existence, by what she was feeling. She felt the tension within her rising again, despite having climaxed once already.

The pleasure she was experiencing was so intense it was nearly pain, and Nida drove her to the edge and beyond, holding her tight as she came apart in his arms with a strangled, shivering cry. He groaned and trembled as well, his orgasm triggered by hers, his breath coming in ragged gasps, feeling as though his heart would explode with how heavily it beat.

He rested upon his elbows, still on top of her, trying not to rest his full weight on her but feeling suddenly weak and drained. He let his head drop and rest a moment at the side of her neck, smiling as he felt her fingers running through his hair again, this time gently.

"I think you managed _fantastic_ pretty well." Quistis whispered, still breathless. It felt so nice, being there with him, their bodies still merged together. She smiled up at him as he lifted his face up and kissed her lightly.

"I did? Thank you." He grinned down at her. He couldn't quite believe still that he was there with her. He'd wanted her, ached for her, for so long. For one reason or another, they could just never get together. He was busy. She was busy. She was with someone, and then he was…and of course there was her years long pursuit of the unattainable, emotionally remote Squall.

Oh, he hadn't joined the frankly creepy Trepies; their slavish devotion was just a bit too much for his liking. He wasn't the stalker type, though he certainly had been _aware_ of Quistis whenever she was near him. And he had sincerely tried dating other girls; sleeping with more than a few. He wasn't a saint.

But now he was in the arms of the subject of many a lonely night's fantasy, discovering that the reality was much, _much_ better than anything he could have dreamed of. It was pretty damned amazing, as a matter of fact.

He moved off of her, lying flat on his back and pulling her close to snuggle against him. He stroked her hair back, caressing her cheek and guiding her face up to his, giving her another soft, lingering kiss. Then he lay back again, silently urging her to lay her head on his shoulder, caressing her hair. His heart was full to bursting at the moment, and he knew he was already halfway in love with her. It wouldn't take much to push him all the way in.

He found that he didn't mind that in the least.

They simply lay together in silence, basking in the moment, listening to each other's breaths, heartbeats. Nida's eyes grew heavy, and he smiled slightly. Good sex always made him sleepy. And this had been more than good…it had been _great_.

"Tired?" Quistis asked him.

"Yeah." He answered softly, smiling at her.

"Wore you out, did I?" Quistis grinned at him.

"Yes, you did." He said, still smiling.

She yawned then and admitted, "Same here." He chuckled softly.

"I'm glad you decided to come with me. I really did intend to take you out on an actual _date_ , by the way." He said.

"We can still do something tomorrow." Quistis said.

"Not tonight huh?" he asked.

She shook her head, "No, not tonight. I rather like where I am right now."

"I like where you are right now too." he smiled at her again, hugging her close and giving her another kiss. He lay back again and closed his eyes, loving the feel of her hand lightly caressing his chest and belly. Rather than arousing him however, it relaxed him.

That calm, relaxed state was driven from him when Quistis quietly asked him, "What happened in the MD level this morning?"

 _Dammit_. Up to that point he'd been pretty successful in distracting himself, pushing it from his mind for just a few hours. It had been there in the background but he figured if he concentrated on something else for a while, he'd be better able to deal with it at some later point in time.

He had hoped it would be a later time than _this_.

"Nida?" She prompted, pressing herself closer, worried.

He sighed and closed his eyes, anguished, and whispered, "Quistis, I don't want to think about it right now."

Quistis sighed, eyes stinging in sympathy. She extended her arm to the other side of his body and gave him a half-hug. He tightened his arm around her in response.

"I know how you feel Nida. I'm a SeeD too." Quistis whispered. Nida remained silent and still.

"I'm an instructor. I train cadets that sometimes manage to make SeeD. So you can imagine how it hurts when I hear that a SeeD that I've trained won't be coming back from an assignment. Every time that happens, I start second guessing myself, trying to think of what I might have missed while training them. You see, it's my job to give them the tools to survive, and when they don't I feel that I've failed." Quistis sniffled, tears beginning to spill from her eyes.

"Quistis…you're a good instructor. You trained me. You trained Squall, Zell, and Selphie…. the only four cadets to graduate to SeeDs that year were your students. You can't blame yourself when things go bad for a former student." Nida whispered comfortingly.

"I try not to Nida, but I still do sometimes. I know you're feeling the same way. You wouldn't be the kind of person you are if you didn't." Quistis said softly.

Nida sighed again, and swallowed. Then he said in a low voice, "Squall asked me if I felt I could have done things differently. I told him I would have brought down more SeeDs, had everyone check their junctions, make sure they had strong GFs…."

"Do you think that would have made a difference?" she asked him.

"I don't know. Maybe. And it may have simply resulted in more than just three SeeDs dead." Nida said.

Quistis sniffled again and Nida shifted to face her, gently wiping the tears away with his thumb. Then he pulled her close and gave her a gentle kiss. He tucked her head under his chin and sighed, closing his eyes again.

Finally, he began hesitantly, "We went down there this morning like usual, and I thought I'd check out the power core because of some fluctuations in the power levels. Turned out there were six grendels there, leaching power from it. I had nine SeeDs with me; we all had good, strong Guardians and magic junctions and we'd handled everything that had come at us up to that point." He paused, and Quistis kissed the base of his neck softly, offering subtle encouragement but otherwise remaining silent. Nida appreciated that about her.

"So, I found a good, defensible position and had one of the SeeDs with me, Ben, lure the monsters to us." Nida's voice dropped to a quiet murmur, with just a hint of tremble to it as he continued, "They attacked _so fast_ … Ben was…nearly gutted, sliced open by the alpha of the pack. I cast stop and told everyone to cast slow on the grendels, and protect on him or herself, and I ran out and dragged Ben back to Reya. She cured him, and I cast protect on him. After that, it was all a blur. I killed one grendel, and a second one attacked me right after, slicing me along my ribs. When I called Aeryon, the grendel attacked it and knocked my guardian out of the fight. When it was over, Reya, Rick and Trace were all dead, and Kessie…she… died under my hands while I was trying to save her. Fortunately I was able to get a phoenix down to her."

He stopped and swallowed down a lump, closing his eyes tightly against the moisture that was gathering in them, threatening to break loose and fall.

"Please tell me I didn't make a mistake." Nida begged in a shaky whisper, clinging to Quistis.

"You didn't." She reassured him softly.

"Then why do I feel as though I did?" Nida asked her.

Quistis couldn't answer that, so instead responded in a way that he couldn't mistake. She shifted, uncurling from his firm embrace and gazing up into his face, gently wiping away a stray tear that had broken loose from the corner of one eye. Then she kissed him, softly, gently.

He took what she offered fiercely, crushing her in his arms and kissing her back. He covered her lips with his own, kissing her deeply and stealing her breath again. But this time, he was kissing her with an edge of desperation coupled with raw need. Quistis recognized it for what it was and welcomed it, welcomed the pain, the guilt, the need to lose himself, just for a little while. The need to forget.

Quistis knew what he was doing and what he needed. She had done it herself, when one of her former cadets died on a mission. So, she met that need with her own and let him cling to her, make love with her, and in the end, sob out his pain, and grief, and guilt in her arms.

Every person dealt with loss differently. Some SeeDs drank to excess, some withdrew, and some grew dangerously reckless, as though they were trying to atone for that loss with their own lives. Some retreated to someplace familiar and safe where they could mourn in private, while others clung to friends.

Nida's mechanism was to distract himself with his hobby, driving his incredibly fast car in an almost reckless manner, and losing himself in the arms of a beautiful woman. Somehow however, Quistis didn't think just any woman would have done for him what he'd needed. It had to be her. Because she understood.

* * *

Author's note: Nida's car, Sally? (cue the song, "mustang sally") Picture a cross between a Ferrari Testarossa and a Jaguar XK-S coupe. With a dash of Corvette thrown in for some added sex appeal. Yeah, totally badass. I used the technical specs from the 1984 model Ferrari Testarossa, and decided on the European version. Why? Horses don't exist in the FF universe, so it makes no sense to be talking about _horse_ power (or _mustangs_ , for that matter, hence, Sweet Sally). Ride Sally, _Ride_.


	5. Survivors

Nida woke to the unfamiliar feeling of a body lying next to him. Unfamiliar, but very welcome. He yawned and stretched, luxuriating in the first few moments of a new day beside someone who was already special to him. Rolling over, he snuggled close, burying his face in her hair and breathing in its fragrance.

He caressed her taut stomach, kissing the back of her neck softly. Quistis sighed and shifted, but did not wake. Nida pressed her closer, on the edge of sleep and waking. He was too comfortable to get up, wanted to bask instead in the moment.

It couldn't last, he knew. Eventually, time would pass, and the moment would be lost forever as the world gradually intruded. His body would require him to get up, Quistis would wake, the world would make its demands upon them, and the moment would pass.

Rather than mourn its passing however, Nida instead thought of it as an opportunity to experience another such moment the next time they were together. Another moment to treasure in his memory; he hoped that he'd be able to fill that trove to the brim with these memories.

Quistis shifted again, her movements having more conscious purpose as she began to wake up. She yawned and stretched, then shifted to face Nida, opening her eyes and smiling at him.

"Morning," she said softly, face still flushed with sleep. Nida smiled at her and pulled her close, kissing her softly on the lips.

"Good morning to you too." he murmured huskily. Quistis reached up and caressed his cheek, rough and shadowed with morning stubble. He looked incredibly sexy, unshaven, with his warm hazel eyes still heavy with sleep.

His hands started roaming her body, pressing her close to him, letting her feel what else had awakened. Her heart started to race as he started kissing her. She let her hands wander as well, feeling a languorous sort of tension rising within her, a sleepy desire that built slowly as they touched and kissed each other.

"What do you want to do today?" Nida asked her softly, dropping soft kisses on her shoulder, up her neck, on her cheek, making Quistis sigh and smile at him.

"I don't know. Right now, I'm pretty happy staying in bed." she whispered to him.

"Yeah?" he whispered, silencing her response with a light, sweet kiss that built gradually to an arousing one.

Then he was on top of her again, fingers laced with hers, making her gasp as he entered her with one long, slow stroke.

"I am too." he breathed, surging and retreating in a languid, gentle rhythm. Quistis' breath seemed to clog in her lungs as Nida held her down gently and made love with her again. He held her hands above her head, fingers tangled together with hers, forcing her to strain her body upward as he thrust and retreated. It was different, from what she'd ever done before…. unique. It made her feel both powerless because her hands were trapped and she couldn't use them to caress, stroke, or hang onto him; and oddly safe, protected, covered by his body, his warmth blanketing her while simultaneously invading her.

And it was so incredibly erotic that Quistis couldn't help but give herself up to it and let it sweep her away entirely. Nida's languid, almost lazy movements gradually built up in intensity, thrusting deeper, harder and faster until Quistis arched her back with a long moan, shuddering as the slow build of tension was released in a flood of pleasure.

Nida's grip on her hands tightened and he shuddered as well when his release struck him, groaning and breathing raggedly into her neck.

He released her hands and raised himself up onto his elbows, combing his fingers through Quistis' tangled hair, smiling down at her. She wrapped her arms around him then, holding him close, and he gave her another lingering kiss.

"Want to share a shower with me?" he invited.

Quistis smiled up at him and replied. "Sure. Then what?"

"We could get breakfast at this little sidewalk café down the street, wander around Deling City, shop, see a movie, wander through a museum or a gallery…whatever you want to do sweetheart. The day is yours, and I'm at your command." Nida said softly, kissing her cheek lightly and smiling when Quistis leaned into it and actually rubbed her face against his, apparently liking the slight abrasion from his stubble.

"There's a bookstore I like here, it's got a coffee shop inside." Quistis suggested.

"Then we'll go wander around a bookstore for awhile, if that's what you want to do." Nida said, adding, "but first, we need to shower, and I at least need to make myself pretty for you." Nida grinned down at Quistis as she laughed at the absurd statement.

"No, you don't." She said softly, caressing his cheeks and running her fingers through his hair. "You're fine as you are."

"Thank you for that," he said, kissing her lightly on the lips. "I'm still going to take that shower though." He gently disentangled himself from Quistis' embrace and got out of bed, reaching his hand down to help pull her out of the bed as well.

They had almost as much fun in the shower as they had in the bed, and when it was done and they'd finally managed to get dressed, Nida reflected that at the rate they were going, they'd both be exhausted by the time the weekend was over. And they hadn't even left the room yet.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

They had brunch at the café that Nida had mentioned, Quistis enjoying the fair weather and watching the passersby on the busy street as they sat at their patio table. She had opted for pancakes with fresh fruit, while Nida had gone with eggs and ham.

Sipping at her coffee, she asked him, "So when do you start training for the games?"

"After I finish mucking about in the MD level. I've no time for much else until then." Nida answered her, poking at his food.

"That doesn't leave you much time to train does it? Aren't you planning on participating in the first qualifying meet?" Quistis frowned, concerned.

"Yes. I'm fit enough, running-wise. The rest of it could use some fine-tuning, but I don't have to _win_ all of the events I'm competing in, just place well. If I don't qualify at this meet, I'll have two other chances." Nida said.

"If nothing else, you'll learn where you need improvement." Quistis observed.

"Exactly." Nida agreed, taking a bite of his ham.

Quistis smiled then, and studied him with a speculative look on her face. "It seems like I've known you forever, and yet I know nothing about you. Before this weekend, if anyone had asked me anything about you beyond your name, rank and current assignment, I couldn't have answered them."

"And what have you learned so far?" Nida asked her, smiling slightly.

"I've learned that you're into restoring cars and you're a fantastic mechanic. Of course, that shouldn't have been such a surprise to me, considering you do pretty much the same thing when you're working. I've learned…." And Qustis' smile grew wider, "that you're not only an officer, but a gentleman…but not _too_ much of one. I've learned you've got a wonderful sense of humor; you're a great kisser and a talented athlete. You're smart, and sweet, and. …Despite all of that, humble too."

Nida chuckled, "you give me too much credit. I'm not a saint."

Quistis raised her eyebrow and said, "I know." Nida laughed at that.

"But you know what? In all the time that I've known you and worked with you, I've never learned your last name. I find that very odd." Quistis said with a puzzled frown.

"That's because I don't have one." Nida told her.

Quistis stared at him, "I don't understand. How's that even possible?"

"I'm an orphan, just like most everyone at Garden." Nida told her.

"Yeah, but they've all got their full names." Quistis said, frowning.

"They've got full names, yes, but they may not be their own. People who knew their families or knew them brought many of the kids that the Kramers took in to them. Or the kids themselves were old enough to know their full names. Those that didn't, Edea and Cid provided them with surnames." Nida said.

"But not you. Why?" Quistis asked, intrigued.

"I wasn't brought to their orphanage. I was only two when my parents were killed in the Galbadian invasion of Timber. My family had just moved there and didn't know anyone. I knew my name was Nida, but that was _all_ I knew." Nida answered her.

"You were two when Timber was invaded? That makes you…" Quistis frowned, thinking.

"Twenty-two. Or twenty-three, give or take." Nida answered on a shrug.

"You're not sure?" Quistis asked him.

Nida shook his head. "Cid and Edea could never find my birth records."

"You don't even know your own _birth date_?" Quistis asked, appalled. Nida shook his head again, shrugging.

"They _did_ try. But you need a full name to search birth records. I only know for certain that I wasn't born in Winhill. There was only one male child born there in the last twenty years." Nida said.

"Squall." Quistis said.

"Yes. More than likely I was born in Deling City, but without my parents' names, there's no way to be sure." Nida said.

Quistis frowned then, and observed, "You're actually a little older than I am. How is it you weren't at Edea's orphanage with the rest of us?"

"I don't know. I remember an orphanage in Galbadia. I remember, vaguely, a soldier taking me there. Then Cid came and suddenly I was in Garden." Nida replied, sipping at his coffee.

"How old were you?" She asked him.

"About seven." Nida answered.

Quistis' expression softened and she reached out, taking his hand. "No last name, no birth date… you're even _more_ of a mystery to me now."

"No I'm not." Nida said softly, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it. "I'm an open book. You can read anything you want from me."

"But…" Quistis began, and stopped helplessly. Had he never had a birthday party? No celebration to mark the passing of another year? She remembered that Matron- Edea had tried to do something special for the children under her care when they had birthdays. It wasn't easy, Quistis realized, when Matron may not have known all of their birth dates. But still, she tried.

But that was Matron. Other orphanages may not have done the same thing. Many of them were too impoverished to do anything beyond keeping their charges fed and sheltered. So rather than single one child out for a celebration, events such as birthdays were instead ignored. Quistis rather thought that because no one really knew what date to mark for Nida's birth, it had been thought to be of no consequence.

In the dark days following the Sorceress War, Nida's story was heartbreakingly common. Parentless children washed up in orphanages everywhere like so much flotsam, storm wrack left behind by the winds of war. Sorting out so many orphans like Nida who may have barely known their given names, much less their family names would have been impossible.

"You need a to have a birthday. And a name." Quistis said solemnly.

Nida shook his head, "Quistis, don't worry about it. It's no big deal; I've made peace with it. Like the other kids like me, I'd already picked out my birthday. And I _have_ a name. If I need another I can always make one up."

Intrigued, Quistis asked him, "What date did you pick?"

Smiling wistfully, Nida answered, "January first. The orphanage always had a big party at the turning of the year. If they could do nothing else, they at least made an effort to do that, and I'd pretend that the party was for me. A lot of times, when they couldn't verify actual birth dates, they'd just arbitrarily make us one year older on that date anyway."

Suddenly, a memory came to Quistis and her eyes filled with tears as what Nida had told her shed new light upon it.

"I'd always wondered why the New Year's Celebration was always such a big deal at Garden. People exchanged gifts, they had cakes and treats and balloons and all kinds of stuff like that. I always thought it was kind of silly…" she said, her voice trailing off.

"There were a lot of kids like me there. Edea and Cid new that, and continued the tradition." Nida said gently.

Quietly, Quistis began to cry.

"Hey now, none of that." Nida said firmly, pulling Quistis over to him to sit her on his lap. The waitress and the passing pedestrians paused and sighed at the romantic sight of Nida gently wiping her tears away and kissing her.

"This is a fun day. No tears allowed. No crying over a lost childhood, we've both survived that and moved on. Never look back Quistis." Nida said, hands framing her face, thumbs wiping her tears away.

"Is that your personal philosophy?" She asked him.

"If you like. Perhaps when I find a name I like, I'll add it as my motto." Nida said, smiling at her.

"Maybe you could even design a family crest around it." Quistis smiled back.

Nida laughed softly, "I'd have to get married first, to have a family to create the crest for."

"Is that something you want? A wife? Children?" Quistis asked, suddenly feeling breathless at the implications of that question, and his answer.

 _More than you know._ Nida thought, then he answered carefully, "eventually. But yes, I would like that." He dropped his hands from her face and slid them around her waist, hugging her. She hugged him back, burying her face in his neck briefly.

Patting her hip, Nida shifted and asked her, "are you done eating?" at her nod, he said, "well then, there's a bookstore we have to get lost in."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Quistis wandered the stacks and shelves of books in her favorite bookstore, happily losing herself in the endless possibilities of new worlds, new knowledge, and new experiences that could be gained from a good read. Nida was several rows away, scanning the section that contained technical and mechanical engineering books.

She had worried at first about mentioning the bookstore, afraid that he'd find it boring and by extension, _her_ boring as well. She was pleasantly surprised to find that he was nearly as ardent a bibliophile as she was, and even enjoyed some of the same authors that she did.

And those authors that they did not have in common Quistis was more than willing to check out and read. She found it fascinating to see the kind of reading material that Nida enjoyed. It gave her an insight into his personality that she might not otherwise have seen, despite his admission that he read for recreation only occasionally, preferring more active pursuits.

She rounded a corner into the biography section, scanning the stories written of various famous individuals from both political and entertainment arenas. Spying one book, Quistis picked it up and laughed quietly as she saw it was an unauthorized biography of Squall Leonhart. Of course, it _would_ be unauthorized because Quistis knew he wouldn't have been willing to participate in such an undertaking. She flipped through it, wondering how accurate it was. The answer was…. not very. Oh, the basic information was correct, but that was information that anyone who read the papers or paid attention would know.

Of course, given the fact that it was _unauthorized_ precluded its possessing any kind of depth, and there were quite a lot of photographs to bolster its admittedly weak story. Quistis rather suspected it was geared more toward Squall's ardent fans than anything else. She wondered if he was aware of it and what he'd think about it.

She laid it aside with an amused snort and picked up another book that had been displayed close by. This one was a more serious toned biography about President Laguna Loire. Even though she knew Laguna personally, she was tempted to pick it up when she read the forward penned by the man himself. It was a both funny and poignant essay, by turns self-deprecating and honest as he praised the writer of the book for his work and for not taking him too seriously. "Thank you for not kissing my ass." He'd written, tongue firmly in cheek.

Quistis wondered, after reading the essay, if Laguna still wrote, if only for fun. Having read the stories he'd written as a journalist for the Timber Maniacs, Quistis thought that he could easily return to that if he ever decided to retire from public life.

She replaced the book, still smiling to herself and looked up, wondering where Nida was. Suddenly she had a prickly, uncomfortable feeling creep down her spine. Someone was watching her, and _not_ in a friendly manner. Quistis knew better than to ignore feelings like that; they'd saved her life in the past.

She whirled, looking for the source of her disquiet and froze, heart pounding in fear as she locked eyes with the watcher. The dark, empty eyes that held her hostage rested in a frighteningly familiar face that sported a derisive half-smile. Sean.

Half of her was screaming in terror for her to run, the other half was urging her to reach for the whip she wore wrapped around her waist masquerading as a belt and kill him with it. Her hand had automatically reached for it as a matter of fact, a reflexive action that had also saved her life more than once, and not only against monsters.

Before she could touch the handle however, he raked her from head to foot, his gaze leaving Quistis feeling violated. Then he turned and casually walked away, that same derisive expression never leaving his face.

Quistis wrapped her arms around herself; her eyes glazed over with tears, and she simply shook. It had to be a horrible coincidence. It had to be. _Squall told me he wouldn't bother me again. Both he and Irvine swore to it._

And Quistis realized that he hadn't actually done anything overt. He just let her see him, let her know that he was there and that he'd been watching her. And then he'd simply strolled away while her hard-won sanity started to crumble again.

Leaving her right back where she'd started six months ago, being slowly eaten alive by fear, loathing, anger and shame. The bastard had known that just the sight of him would bring it all back for her and force her to relive what she'd had to endure at his hands. Would force her to fight her way through it all over again.

 _NO! God damn it, he's not going to do this to me again! I'm STRONGER than this!_ Quistis told herself fiercely. She closed her eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath, and forcibly stopped her tremors. She'd be damned if she'd let Sean ruin things for her.

 _No tears Quistis. This is a fun weekend, with someone very cute and sweet…_ It was more than that and she knew it, deep down where she was still quivering jelly. But she wasn't ready to face up to what she was feeling, or where this still new relationship with Nida was headed. She didn't want to put a name on it, fearing that doing so would somehow jinx it.

"Quistis?" Nida. Looking for her. She blinked her eyes open and quickly wiped at them to rid herself of any traces that might give her away.

"Quiss? Oh, there you are." Nida's head popped around the end of the shelving display, and Quistis pasted on a smile as she turned around to face him as he approached.

He smiled back at her and slid his arm around her waist, kissing her temple, and asked her, "find anything interesting?"

"Not really, no. Let's go." Quistis answered.

"Where do you want to go next?" Nida asked her as they walked toward the doorway.

"Anywhere you want." _Away from here,_ she thought. "Surprise me." He tightened his arm around her, hugging her close to his side and kissing her again.

"Okay." He said, holding the door open for her.

Quistis shuddered briefly as she felt eyes on her again and snuck a quick glance back as she walked through the doorway, but saw nothing.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

They window-shopped along the strip, strolling along the busy street hand in hand and enjoying the afternoon. Gradually, the aftershocks of Quistis' encounter with Sean faded away, aided by her pushing it forcibly from her mind.

Nida snuck a glance over at Quistis as they walked, wondering at the pensive expression on her face. She'd almost fooled him, but he'd noticed a quiver at the edges of her lips when she'd smiled at him in the bookstore. It was subtle, but something seemed…. off, with her. It left him wondering, and a little worried.

She paused to study the wares displayed in the window of a jewelry store, and Nida watched her. She appeared absorbed in what she was doing and seemingly unaware of his regard. There. A slight twitch of the shoulders, a quick, nervous glance around and behind her, and she caught him studying her. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Everything okay Quistis?" He asked her, wondering if he'd imagined the odd, nervous edge she seemed to be displaying.

She tightened her hand, squeezing his, and answered, "yes."

They resumed walking, and Nida said, "I was thinking. Maybe we could go back to the hotel and put on our fancy clothes, go out someplace really swank for dinner. What do you think?"

Quistis raised her eyebrows at him and asked him, "How swank are we talking? I didn't pack any formal wear."

"We could always just go get some. There's some really fancy, nice boutiques around here, and I have to admit, I think it would be kind of fun to class it up a bit." Nida said.

"You actually want to go dress shopping with me? Are you nuts?" Quistis asked him on a laugh.

"Yes. I know it sounds weird, and you know by now I'm totally straight but I think it would be kind of a neat thing to do. Especially if I get to see you modeling the dresses." Nida grinned wolfishly at her.

"Ah. _Now_ I get it." Quistis laughed softly. "Okay. But I get to do the same thing with your outfit."

"Deal." Nida agreed readily.

They spent the next couple of hours in one of the more exclusive shops in Deling City, and Quistis for one, had a great time. She didn't normally do things like that; spend outrageous amounts of money on designer clothes. Not because she couldn't afford it, more because she hadn't really had any reason to. Until now.

The salesgirl that was helping them got into the spirit of things, showing Quistis some very nice dresses, and enjoying Nida's reactions as Quistis modeled them for him: a silky blue shirred strapless dress got a noncommittal shrug, while one in green velvet with a halter top had him wrinkling his nose and shaking his head. A classic black silk dress had him waggling his hand in a so-so response, while white…was a flat no.

Several other styles and colors generated similar lukewarm responses, but then the salesgirl suddenly got an idea and whispered something to Quistis. She smiled and disappeared back into the changing room, with the girl following her a few minutes later with a hanger bearing a _very_ interesting dress in fiery scarlet.

Nida sat up straight, attention caught by the dress and its brilliant color. He suddenly wanted very much to see Quistis in _red_.

When she emerged a few minutes later wearing it, Nida simply stared, speechless. The red silk hugged her body, with golden spaghetti straps that crisscrossed her bodice, drawing the eye upward from her cleavage to her shapely shoulders, to her golden hair and finally to her lovely face. It skimmed over her flat stomach and the gentle flare of her hips to fall to the floor, with a slit up one side all the way up her thigh.

Seeing his stunned reaction, Quistis exchanged an amused glance with the salesgirl and said, "I think that's a yes." Nida simply nodded mutely in agreement.

"Okay, your turn." Quistis said, coming over to Nida and taking his hands, tugging on them to urge him to his feet.

"You know, I could just rent a tuxedo…" Nida said, wondering if the whole dressing up thing was such a good idea. He'd had fun watching Quistis do it, but now that it was _his_ turn, he began to have second thoughts.

"No backing out. Chelsea and I here, we only put up with me prancing around in all those dresses for you because eventually it would be your turn. Come on. Stun us with your studliness." Quistis said firmly.

Nida looked from Quistis to the salesgirl, Chelsea, and shrugged, relenting. "All right." He hoped they didn't pick out anything too crazy for him. Fortunately, the young woman assisting them knew her job well and was just as good a fashion consultant for men as for women.

It took considerably less time to find a suit that both Quistis and Nida liked, which allowed him time to consult with a tailor on alterations and get measured. He didn't think they'd get it done in as little time as they had, but he was assured that they would. It helped that the alterations were slight, mainly just on the length of the pants.

They both went to pay for their purchases, arranging for Nida's outfit to be delivered to them when the tailoring was finished. Quistis smiled to herself at the comment the salesgirl had made at one point while Nida had been changing.

"Your guy's a real hottie. And so sweet to put up with this." She'd laughed. Quistis had to agree.

They left with Quistis' purchases, walking back to the hotel along the busy sidewalk and enjoying the waning sun.

"That was fun." Quistis smiled at Nida. He slipped his arm around her waist and gave her a quick peck on the cheek and smiled back.

"I have to agree. I can't wait for later." He replied.

"Me neither." Quistis said, realizing that it was true. It was just dinner, but…not. She discovered that the anticipation of dressing up, the whole process of getting ready, actually added to the fun. She'd gone to formal events before, but this wasn't a formal _event_ , it was a _date_. It wasn't something that she _had_ to do. It was something that she _wanted_ to do.

Spending the evening in a ridiculously sexy and expensive designer dress, at a restaurant with such a high-end reputation that even film stars often had difficulties getting a table, with an incredibly sexy, wonderfully sweet and brilliantly intelligent man was _not_ something Quistis would pass up. Ever.

Quistis started getting ready as soon as they returned to the hotel, using the room Nida had booked for her to take a quick shower. The fact that he'd gone to the trouble of renting a second room just in case warmed her. It meant he hadn't wanted to assume that anything would happen and didn't want to place any pressure upon her. Thinking about that pushed her feelings even further toward something that she still shied away from examining too closely.

Along with the dress, Quistis had purchased a pair of gold high-heeled sandals, and some sexy lingerie. For makeup she kept it simple and light. Just a bit of moisturizer, a sweep of mascara and lipstick to match the dress. She'd thought briefly about taking advantage of the beauty salon in the hotel, but decided against it, not knowing when Nida intended for them to leave.

She dithered a bit over her hair, finally deciding to simply brush it smooth until it gleamed like golden silk, parting it on the side to allow a sweep of her long bangs to partially obscure her face. She smiled, liking the look. It gave her the appearance of a classic movie star vixen. She wasn't Instructor Trepe tonight.

But…. she gazed longingly at her whip. It wouldn't work with the dress. She couldn't carry it tonight. Going weaponless, especially tonight, was not something that Quistis would consider. Not with Sean now aware that Quistis was in Deling City. It made her feel naked, vulnerable and open to attack.

So she rummaged through her bags for her backup. It wasn't her preferred weapon, but there were occasions like this where Quistis couldn't carry her whip. It was too conspicuous. She undid the clip and pulled the six-inch, thin-bladed stiletto out of its sheath, testing the edge and finding it satisfyingly razor-sharp. She slipped it back home and secured it again, then stepped her foot through the belts that would strap it against her inner thigh, pulling it up until it was in a comfortable yet relatively accessible spot.

She walked a few steps experimentally and nodded in satisfaction. It was undetectable under the dress, even with the slit. It was only up the left side of the skirt anyway, and Quistis had placed the knife on her right thigh. Finally finished with her preparations, she picked up her clutch purse and made sure she had her small handgun secured in its hidden compartment, and then added a tube of lipstick, tissues and her eyeglasses in their case. Just in case.

Quistis wasn't Instructor Trepe tonight. But she was still a SeeD.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Nida knocked on the door to Quistis' room, hoping she was ready. He too had taken a brief shower to get ready, and his clothes had been delivered far sooner than he'd thought possible. Checking the fit after he'd gotten dressed, Nida had been suitably impressed with the job the tailor had done.

The outfit wasn't a classic tuxedo; it was instead a more modern version of one. The jacket and pants of course were black, the shirt snowy white and collarless. No black tie for Nida.

Quistis opened the door to her room and Nida had to pause a moment, again, to find his breath. The dress had been stunning on her in the shop when she'd tried it on. With her hair brushed smooth and gleaming, her skin glowing and her lips full, red and alluring in addition to the gorgeous dress and accessories, she looked like a goddess fallen to earth.

"Wow," Nida said, finally managing to speak. "You look… amazing."

"So do you." Quistis smiled at him.

He took her hand as she closed the door behind her. As they walked down the hallway and toward the elevator leading to the lobby, Nida kept stealing glances at her, finding it difficult to tear his eyes away. The high heels on her shoes had given her an extra few inches in height, making her appear positively statuesque. She didn't quite reach his six-foot-one though.

The sunset had stained the sky with scarlet and purple as the evening progressed into night. Quistis and Nida strode out of the hotel and he had the valet bring Sally out to them. When the car arrived in perfect order, Nida gave the man his promised fifty gil and they drove off.

They arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later and Nida turned his keys over to the valet there. Then they walked toward the entrance.

"This place is beautiful. I've never been here before." Quistis said as they walked in and approached the man at the Host's station.

"Neither have I. It's kind of fun to do something like this out of the ordinary." Nida smiled at her.

"May I help you sir?" the host asked.

"Yes. Nida and Trepe. I called in reservations a little while ago." Nida told him.

The man consulted the register and said, "Ah, yes. Right this way Mr. Nida." Nida exchanged an amused grin with Quistis as they followed the man.

The host led them into the establishment and to a table in a quiet part of the restaurant. Nida couldn't keep his eyes off of Quistis as they sat down. She looked lovely in the muted, golden light that played over her hair and fiery dress. She looked like the goddess of flame made flesh, with the only contradiction to that image being her beautiful blue eyes.

"Could I get you some drinks?" a waiter appeared, pouring water into their glasses.

"With dinner, thank you. What would you recommend?" Nida asked the man.

"Our chef's signature dish is mesmerize shank braised in wine with shallots and wild mushrooms, with a first course of adamantoise soup. It pairs well with our house wine, a Galbadian red." The waiter answered.

Nida glanced over at Quistis who nodded and smiled at the man, "it sounds lovely."

The waiter smiled back at Quistis, clearly admiring her beauty, before turning his attention back to Nida, asking him, "And you sir?"

"The same," Nida answered.

"Thank you sir." The waiter nodded, writing it down, and then left.

Quistis smiled at Nida then, saying, "Mr. Nida. You know, I rather like that."

"Well, as it's the only name I have, I suppose I do too." Nida said, laughing softly.

Their dinners arrived not much later, and both found that the chef fully deserved his celebrated reputation. Nida, Quistis noticed, contented himself with just the one glass of wine as he ate, then turned to water afterward. When she asked him about it he told her that Sally was rather unforgiving of a driver lacking in wits.

"We can get drunk and silly some other time, hon," He told her with a wink.

"I'll hold you to that," Quistis said, already halfway drunk from the two glasses of wine she'd had. She felt warm and relaxed, so relaxed it seemed as though her bones were melting.

They lingered a bit, long enough that Nida felt it would be safe for him to drive, and then returned to the hotel. In retrospect, it was a little silly to get all dressed up just to go out to dinner and do nothing else, but to Quistis, that was part of the fun.

It didn't hurt that Nida dressed up fancy was damn near as sexy as he was when wearing nothing at all.

And while he wasn't drunk, not by the time they left the restaurant, he was definitely…amorous. They weren't _quite_ all over each other as they made their way to their room; they still had to walk after all, but it was pretty darned close.

It didn't matter once they'd gotten into the room and closed the door, who attacked who, but Quistis was pretty sure that she was the aggressor this time as well. She only remembered pushing Nida against the closed door and kissing him for all she was worth, then he turning the tables on her and leaving her breathless.

"I love this dress on you," he whispered while trailing hot kisses down her neck and nipping gently at her shoulder. _I love YOU._ It was on the tip of his tongue, but he held back. They'd only just started dating; it was too soon for such a declaration even though it was something that had been in his heart from the beginning.

He was more than halfway in love with her now. At some point during their time together, Nida's heart had quietly tripped over itself and fallen the rest of the way in. Perhaps it was the way the sun had struck her hair as they'd walked down the streets of Deling City that afternoon, or the warmth in her eyes when she smiled. Perhaps it was the tears she'd shed on his behalf when he'd explained the embarrassing, tragic truth of why he was all but nameless.

Perhaps it was because that when he'd confessed to a desire to marry and start a family of his own at some point, she hadn't recoiled in fear. Most SeeDs did. Mainly because they knew their lives were destined to be short, so why do that to someone else? Why leave a spouse and a child behind when the inevitable happened?

Nida realized that what he wanted might be perceived as selfish, but he preferred to think of it as optimistic. Not _every_ SeeD died young. And not every SeeD lacked the courage to try and leave something of him or herself behind. If Nida couldn't leave a name behind, perhaps he would at least have a piece of himself to continue on after he was gone.

He knew he wasn't going to live forever, nobody did. But while he was alive, he was determined to _live_. That meant taking what was offered with joyous abandon, and not worrying about where it might lead him.

"And _you_ look so good I can barely stand it." Quistis responded in kind, breath hitching in her throat. She smoothed her hands over the crisp whiteness of his shirt, pressing against the warmth of his body as she started unbuttoning it.

The shirt fell open and she stroked her hands over warm skin and hard muscle, enjoying again the contrast between smooth skin and rough yet soft hair. Loving the scent of his skin and the sound of his breath as he kissed down her neck to her cleavage.

His lips found hers again and he pressed her close as he kissed her thoroughly, smoothing his hands up and down her back before gently drawing down the zipper on the back of her dress. Quistis began to melt from the inside out as his hands lightly moved the straps of her dress from her shoulders, his lips taking their place.

His light, gentle kisses trailed downward over her breasts, revealed when the dress fell to the floor. Nida pulled her flush against him, letting her feel his interest, his excitement, before stepping back and tangling his fingers with hers, pulling her toward the bedroom.

He shed his clothes along the way dropping them carelessly to the floor; the coat first, then shirt, and then unbuckling the belt and undoing the top fastening of his trousers. Upon reaching the bed, he pulled Quistis to him again, trailing his hands down her back and over her backside.

He bent, following his hand as it tracked over her right hip and down her thigh. He deftly undid the straps holding Quistis' knife upon her thigh without comment, letting it fall to the floor. He did the same thing after removing his pants and laying them aside; taking off and carefully placing both of the ankle holsters he wore containing twin .380 semi-auto pistols onto the bedside chest, making sure the safeties were on.

Then their hands and lips were everywhere, kissing, touching, and caressing each other as they came together on the bed. The tiny red panties that Quistis wore were pulled off, Nida's hand stroking lightly up her thigh to her hip and over to the junction of her thighs, teasing her sensitized flesh there and making her gasp.

Nida kissed her again, swallowing her moan as he joined with her, holding her close as he loved her. Their hearts pounded in synch with each other, both fighting for air as Nida's movements surged and retreated in time with his beating heart. The tension between them built along with their passion with each stroke, caress and kiss.

Nida increased his pace, following Quistis' breathless encouragement, spurred by the nails she raked lightly down his back and dug into him. The passionate tension broke free in a sweet flood of release as Quistis shuddered and cried out, clutching convulsively at Nida. Her release prompted his, and Nida groaned as he was caught up in the throes of it, collapsing on top of Quistis.

Then he simply lay still and breathed. Sweat slicked and panting, face buried into the side of her neck, breathing in the scent of her skin and hair. Her hands gently combed through his hair and stroked down his back, and he closed his eyes against the flood of emotions that struck him in that moment.

He shifted, withdrawing from her briefly and moving to lay down upon the bed facing her, pulling her close and nearly crushing her in a strong hug. Loosening his hold upon her, he stroked her hair and kissed her gently.

"Funny how we always seem to end up here," he murmured with a grin.

"Yeah." She agreed quietly, smiling back at him.

"We could just spend the rest of the weekend here," he suggested.

Quistis laughed softly, "We could. We're leaving at noon tomorrow anyway, aren't we?"

Nida frowned, rolling onto his back, sighing. He didn't want to think about going back to Garden right then. Not yet. He knew they had to go back to their world, their jobs. But he didn't want their stolen time to end.

Quistis cuddled close, resting her head upon his chest and caressed it, asking, "Nida?"

"I don't want this to end." He whispered.

"Who said it had to?" Quistis asked him.

"Do you want to continue…this?" Nida asked her. Kissing her forehead softly, he added, "this was more than just a weekend fling for me Quistis, but I didn't want to make any assumptions about how you felt."

Feeling her eyes sting suddenly, Quistis confessed, "I feel the same way."

"It'll be hard, finding time for each other. We've both got so much to do. You're still preparing the cadets for their field exam, I'm still working in the MD level, then I've got to start training for the games…." Nida murmured.

"We'll find a way. If nothing else, we can steal away on the weekends like this." Quistis said.

"Yeah." Nida said. There was always the weekend. It would have to do. "So what do you want to do next weekend then?"

"Obel Lake is lovely this time of year. Do you like camping?" Quistis asked him.

He smiled at her, "I love it. And you're right; it's gorgeous up there. Do you like fishing?"

"Yeah," Quistis answered, then laughed softly, "but I suck at it."

Nida's laughter echoed hers, and he responded, "To be honest, so do I. But its kind of fun to try anyway."

"That's true. So, next weekend then, Mr. Nida Nameless, we go camping." Quistis declared, lacing her fingers through his. He kissed it and laid it on his chest.

Nida snorted, "Nida Nameless?"

Quistis shrugged, "I know it sucks, but I just came up with it. I'm sure we could do better, given time."

"I take it you're determined to help me with that, with finding me a name." Nida said, feeling rather odd about that.

"Yes, unless you'd prefer that I didn't?" Quistis asked, suddenly worried about his reluctant attitude regarding that.

"I don't know. I guess I don't feel that I've done anything noteworthy enough to earn it." He said. Quistis frowned and raised herself up, looking intently into his face.

"What are you talking about?" she asked him.

Nida hesitated a moment, then asked her, "Do you remember the history unit about Ancient Centra?"

"Yes…" She answered, then her eyes widened, as she suddenly understood. "The Warrior Knights."  


Nida nodded, relieved that she got it. "Yes. That custom of leaving their sons nameless until they _earned_ it…well, that kind of stuck with me."

"You don't feel that you've done anything to earn you a name?" Quistis asked him quietly. Nida shook his head.

"You really have no idea how important you are, do you?" Quistis asked, caressing his cheek.

Nida snorted again, "Important enough to go unnoticed for most of my life."

"Important enough that you made SeeD, one of only four that managed it in your year-group. Important enough that _you_ , and no one else, were trained by the FH technicians to maintain and control Balamb Garden. Important enough that Squall trusted _you_ to train your backup pilots and the maintenance crew. You may not have stood out in the past Nida, but I can assure you that is no longer the case. You're a _very_ important part of Garden now." Quistis told him firmly.

Nida gazed at her thoughtfully, then reached up and caressed her hair, murmuring, "Maybe my problem isn't so much that I've only got _one_ name. Maybe it's because I have too many to choose from: Pilot. Engineer. Mechanic. Exterminator. SeeD. Warrior. Swordsman. Guide. Pathfinder."

"Those things are what you _do_. They define your job as a SeeD. They don't define _you_ , or who you are." Quistis said.

"Who am I then? What defines me?" Nida asked her. Quistis studied him in silence then, trying to think of just one thing, one word that would accurately describe him. It was harder than she thought.

But slowly, it dawned on her, and finally she said, "Survivor."


	6. Into the Fire...Again

Monday morning. Nida stood outside Squall's office, preparing to knock. He knew, or at least thought he knew, why Squall wanted to see him before he resumed his duties in the MD level, and couldn't blame him. He wanted to see if Nida was actually ready to go back down there. While the loss of his colleagues still hurt, Nida had gotten past blaming himself for it with Quistis' help. Mostly. He felt confident however that Squall would see that he was ready.

Nida didn't think Quistis had any idea how… _healing_ …the time they'd spent together over the weekend had actually been for him. It wasn't just that they'd damn near exhausted themselves in the bedroom, though that certainly hadn't hurt. It was the understanding that came with it. Unexpected and very welcome, it had allowed him to pour out his grief to Quistis without fear of judgment.

It was also the small moments that they'd shared outside of the bedroom, from the drive to Deling City when he'd gotten pulled over, to the moment in the café at breakfast, to the elegant dinner they'd shared for no other reason than they could. Even if ultimately he and Quistis went their separate ways, though Nida devoutly hoped that would not happen, he would always treasure the memories of their first weekend together. He hoped that they'd be able to continue creating such memories.

One thing was certain; Nida was completely, irrevocably and utterly in love with her.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, Nida knocked on the door.

Squall opened it and bade him enter. Nida smiled to himself. His commander _still_ hadn't managed to find an assistant, despite the constant stream of applicants that Nida saw in the outer waiting area just about every time he came up there.

Seating himself back down at his desk, Squall gestured to another seat opposite and said, "Have a seat Nida."

"Okay, thank you." Nida said, sitting down as directed. The chaos seemed to have abated somewhat, likely due to Squall's diligence in addressing all of those things that had piled up. He knew Squall had logged more than one late night while dealing with it, and he spared a moment of sympathy for the commander's wife.

Then again, knowing Rinoa, Nida wouldn't have put it past her to simply waltz into Squall's office and demand that her husband take care of business. He rather suspected that Rinoa wouldn't have to try very hard to get Squall's attention either, if she _did_ do something like that. Her simply _showing_ up would likely have done the trick.

Squall studied Nida in silence for a moment, before commenting, "You look relaxed. Okay about going back down to the MD level?"

"I am. I took off and went to Deling City for the weekend. It…helped." Nida replied, unable to stop the smile from spreading across his face at the memory.

Squall raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly, asking, "Was she cute?"

"Gorgeous." Nida answered truthfully.

Squall chuckled quietly, and then said, "Well, it obviously worked for you."

"It did," Nida said with a grin. Then he sobered and said, "I'd like to bring about four more SeeDs with me today."

Squall frowned then and said, "I'm sorry Nida but I can't spare them. _However_ , and I'm kicking myself right now for not thinking of this earlier… I have something that will work even better and help you get your duties completed there without incident."

"What?" Nida asked, wondering what Squall could be referring to.

"Diablos." Squall answered.

Nida stared at him, saying, "But that's _your_ GF…"

"Yes, _one_ of them anyway. To be honest, it didn't even occur to me to offer its use to you when it would have done you the most good. For that, I have to apologize." Squall said seriously, passing the token representing Diablos over to Nida.

Nida frowned. Squall was _apologizing_ to him for not thinking of offering his GF?

"Why?" Nida asked.

Squall sighed, "I dropped all of my junctions when I signed up for the SeeD games to get used to training without them. I don't have any fieldwork scheduled, and I'm not taking on any jobs that would require it. They aren't being used and they're getting bored."

"I have a GF. Aeryon's a fire based GF and does pretty well down there." Nida said, still frowning.

"I know. Trust me. Take Diablos. It's not a fire elemental at all, but it has the ability to discourage attacks by all but the largest of monsters, and I know we don't have any of those down there with the possible exception of the Oilboyles. It'll make your job much easier." Squall told him.

"Okay," Nida said, finally reaching out and picking up the token. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Squall said, dismissing him.

Nida left Squall's office feeling somewhat bemused at the whole exchange, particularly Squall's tacit admission of his own fallibility. Rather than diminishing his confidence in and respect for his commander however, it actually enhanced it. It illustrated brilliantly that nobody was perfect, oversights did occur at even the highest levels and no blame could be laid because of that as long as it was not due to simple incompetence, which Nida knew was not the case. Not for him, and certainly not for Squall.

He entered the lift and punched the code enabling him to descend to the MD level, taking the opportunity during the ride down to junction Diablos. He closed his fist over the token, cleared his mind and called to it, allowing it to enter and take up residence.

 _Command me, master,_ It said, startling him. Squall had neglected to mention that this particular GF could speak. The alien feel of the Guardian's mind made Nida shudder, and wonder if this might partially explain Squall's remoteness.

Perhaps, though even now, even married and far more accessible than he had been in the past, it was still difficult to tell what Squall was thinking or feeling, and well-nigh impossible to detect if he were junctioned or not. But he did wonder if one's personality traits were affected by the Guardian he junctioned.

Hard to say, but Squall's preferred Guardians included both Shiva and Diablos. The Ice Goddess and the Daemon. And Squall was definitely cool and aloof, still, even after so many years. But that could simply be his nature. Nida didn't know how often Squall junctioned and if it was those two particular Guardians each and every time. He had literally a dozen GF's to choose from, and could select whichever Guardian best fit the situation.

Nida felt the presence in his mind, waiting patiently for his direction, and thought to it, _Repel all attacks. No encounters._

 _By your command,_ It acknowledged. Nida heaved a sigh of relief at having at least one worry lifted from his list of concerns.

The elevator pinged, signaling its arrival at the requested level, and the doors slid open. Nida stepped through and saw his team waiting for him. He swallowed, and walked hesitantly toward them. They were all there. All of them, even Kessia.

"Kess…what are you doing here? You should still be resting." He said, worried.

"I'm fine Nida, thanks to you." Kessia said, taking his hands and squeezing them.

"Its thanks to me you got hurt in the first place Kess…" Nida said, frowning.

Kessia shook her head, refuting that statement. "Grendels are tough to kill Nida, we all knew what we were in for. I'm just glad you managed to save Ben and I."

At the mention of the other injured SeeD, Nida frowned and looked around, not seeing him.

"Is he okay? How's he doing?" Nida asked.

"He's doing better, but he wasn't quite up to coming down yet. At least, not according to Dr. Kadowaki, and she's the one who has to sign off on it before Commander Leonhart will allow him to return to duty." Kessia answered him.

"Well, I'm glad you and everyone else are back down here. I'm…sorry, for not visiting you and Ben, Kessie. I… I had to get out of here." Nida said, hesitantly.

"That's okay Nida, I get it." Kessia said, giving him a slight smile.

"So where'd you go? We kind of had a … a memorial for Reya, Rick and Trace, Saturday night. Basically we all got together, reminisced about them, and got rip-roaring drunk. I looked for you to see if you wanted to go but you were gone." Kris asked him.

"I'm sorry I missed it. I took off for Deling City for the weekend on Friday, and got back yesterday." Nida answered.

Kris suddenly grinned, asking, "You didn't happen to invite a certain gorgeous blond to come along with you, did you? I seem to recall that Quistis Trepe was also inexplicably M.I.A this weekend as well."

Nida couldn't help grinning as he confirmed, "I did."

"Judging by the grin, you must have had a great time." Kessia commented, smiling at him. Nida shrugged, still grinning, but declined to provide details or confirm if any _activities_ of a certain type took place. It wasn't hard though to discern that _something_ had happened, and the males present at least could just about guarantee that at some point during the weekend, Nida had gotten laid. That smug grin practically shouted it.

Then his grin faded and he turned serious, telling everyone, "Well, this week, I think our work's going to be a little easier. In fact, if it goes like I hope it will, we may not even need to be down here for the full week."

"Really? Great! So what are we doing today?" Kris asked, eyes bright and interested. Out of nowhere, a pang struck Nida as he remembered Reya's habit of asking him, "so what's the plan boss?"

He hadn't realized how much of a friend as well as a partner she had become until he had to carry on without her. He missed her.

Shaking it off the best he could (though his heart still ached) Nida answered, "pretty much the same thing we've been doing. Keep alert, but I don't think we'll have too much trouble with the monsters today. If anything attacks at all it'll be the Oilboyles."

The SeeDs exchanged relieved looks and nodded. Nida had to admire their commitment to their job, in spite of what had happened.

Seeing that everyone appeared ready to work, Nida picked up the toolbox that had been left tucked against a bulkhead and headed toward the power core, saying, "I still need to check that power core. We took care of the Grendels, but I didn't manage to do anything else…" then his voice faded and he swallowed as he walked toward the area where the battle had taken place. Where Reya, Rick and Trace had died. Where their blood still showed black on the deck plates.

Blinking tears from his eyes, he cast a water spell to wash the blood away.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Okay Trey, are you ready?" Quistis asked the young cadet she was escorting to the Fire Cavern.

"Yes, instructor Trepe." The young man answered.

"Good." Quistis said, and they approached the entrance, notified the faculty members of their identities, and entered the cavern.

"I heard Michelle defeated Ifrit already, so why are we here? Is there another elemental GF here as well?" Trey asked her.

"Yes. We just discovered it a few weeks ago. It's a low-level fire elemental like Ifrit, should be challenging enough without being too dangerous. " Quistis assured him.

"Oh, okay. Well, I've stocked plenty of blizzaga spells, so that should help." The cadet said confidently. Quistis nodded.

The lurid light from the pits of fire lining the pathway gave them both a ruddy cast, and Quistis' uniform was soaked through with sweat in moments. Trey, a rare _true_ redhead, looked as though he was on fire, his hair blazing in the firelight like he was a fire elemental himself. Quistis had to admire the color for its sheer vibrancy, though she was still partial to brunettes. His exotic look certainly hadn't hurt the boy's popularity; Quistis had seen more than one girl mooning over him.

This new elemental was an unknown quantity to both of them; Quistis had decided to go with the more established GFs first for the prospective SeeDs before taking a chance on this new creature. It was a fire elemental however, so the principals regarding fighting it should be the same as with Ifrit. Still, she would remain on her guard, in case the cadet needed assistance.

 _You have entered my domain. In the absence of Lord Ifrit, it falls to me to guard this place. Do you now seek to challenge ME?_ A voice hissed to them both from the darkness beyond the pits of lava.

Trey and Quistis froze as a creature, glowing fiery red and wreathed in flame, crawled from a lava pit directly ahead of them. It hissed again, flicking its tongue out while the flames died down and the glowing red of its skin faded, revealing a gigantic black and red salamander-like form. It advanced upon them slowly, menacingly, hissing like water hitting a hot skillet.

 _Challenge me then._ It hissed at them, and then it attacked, spitting flames.

Quistis flicked her whip at it, causing it to whirl upon her with a hissing snarl as the whip stung it with the ice magic she had enhanced her attack with. Trey seized the opportunity to cast a strong blizzaga spell. Quistis started lobbing ice magic at the monster as well, angering it further.

It countered by belching liquid fire at them, the smallest fleck of which, when it splashed upon Quistis' arm, forced a scream of pain from her. She desperately cast cure upon herself to stop the molten liquid from eating through to her bones. Then she lashed it one, two, three times, backing it off and giving Trey time to summon Shiva. The ice elemental appeared and blasted the fire-salamander with its diamond dust attack, weakening it.

 _I will not bow to YOU, pathetic weaklings! I am the heart of the flame, the core of the mountain. The sire of the great fire serpent; feel my rage and die in despair! I AM LOKI!_ The creature roared, and Quistis began to truly fear that they had made a grave mistake in underestimating its strength. This was NOT a lower-level GF, but a creature on the same level as Odin, and far nastier. Odin simply tested your strength and agreed to help if he found you worthy. This creature just wanted to kill you.

"Keep throwing Shiva at it, Trey! Don't stop, no matter what you do!" Quistis called to him, ducking as the elemental snarled at her and lashed her with its tail in return for the icy lashes she laid upon it. She cast cure once, twice, three times, upon herself, and then upon Trey, while he busily summoned Shiva.

The fight seemed to go on forever, and even Shiva was getting tired, but the creature continued to fight stubbornly. But it was weakening. Each attack from Shiva forced a scream of pain from it now, each blizzaga attack, each lash from Quistis' whip, cooled the salamander's flame a little more.

One last summon of Shiva and the salamander collapsed in a cloud of steam, hissing weakly.

 _I am defeated? Then kill me now, for I will not serve as a slave._ It hissed, dulled eyes still glaring a baleful yellow at them.

"Would you prefer as a partner then? Joining me in glorious battle against all our enemies?" Trey asked it.

The elemental considered this, then hissed, _Yesss…. but I will not share your mind with the ice maiden. I will join with you when she is banished._

"Fair enough." Trey agreed, and the fire elemental vanished. Trey went to pick up the token it left behind and stared at it in awe. It was salamander pendant made of pure gold.

"That's… amazing." Quistis murmured, studying it. Usually the Guardians used base metals for their representations. It was merely a physical token linking them to this plane so that it was easier to junction with them. It always disappeared with the junction.

"That wasn't just a low-level fire elemental, was it?" Trey asked her as they made their way out of the caverns.

"No. I think we way underestimated its strength. We were lucky we had Shiva with us. I don't think anything else would have worked to defeat it. If you can get it to work with you, you'll have a strong elemental in your corner." Quistis told him. She'd have to tell Squall about this new Guardian.

"I'll have to drop my junction with Shiva as soon as we get back to Garden. Then I'll start working with Loki in the training center." Trey said, thinking about his new GF and wondering how it would feel junctioned to him.

"Very good Trey. Let me know how it works out. Hopefully, it'll be ready for you to use on the field exam." Quistis said.

"Well, I've got a few days to work with it, so I'm pretty sure it will." Trey told her.

They parted company upon reaching Balamb Garden, with Trey dropping Shiva's junction immediately and handing its token over to Quistis. After assuring her he'd have a partner with him in the training center as he started to work with his new GF, Quistis left him to it and went to return Shiva to Squall.

She got about halfway there before remembering that she was soaked through with sweat and disheveled looking. Not the best image to present to the Commander, friend or not. So she detoured to her room and took a quick shower, changing into a fresh uniform before continuing to Squall's office.

She passed through the waiting area and paused in surprise at the number of people that occupied it. Most of them were young, female, and dressed provocatively. Quistis shook her head with a sigh. She was about to continue on to Squall's office when a statuesque blond stormed down the hallway, fire blazing in her green eyes.

Pausing as she passed Quistis, she said snidely, "If you're looking to catch the commander's eye, don't bother. I've never met a colder bastard in my life. I feel sorry for his wife."

Quistis tilted her head and asked the young woman coolly, "Why pity his wife that he wouldn't cheat on her with you? Sounds to me like he's behaving admirably."

The young woman closed her mouth with a snap, unable to argue with that logic, and stormed out of the room. Quistis sighed and shook her head.

Surveying the rest of the people present, she asked the group at large, "How many of you are here to interview for the secretary/administrative assistant's position for Commander Leonhart?" The majority of those gathered raised their hands.

Quistis nodded, then asked them, "And how many of you present have actual experience and know what is required of an administrative assistant?" About half of those who'd raised their hands with the first question, raised their hands again at this question.

"Those of you who did not raise your hands just now, you may leave. If you don't know what the job entails, you're wasting your time and ours. Those of you who did, if you do not have a resume and references, you may also leave." Quistis waited as those people who did not meet those requirements got up and left.

Studying the remaining applicants, Quistis said, "Now. Those of you that are still here I am assuming have a resume, references and experience in this type of work. Commander Leonhart will interview you each in turn. Please keep in mind that this is a professional setting and the commander will require someone with a professional mindset and a work ethic to mirror his own. Any step away from professional businesslike behavior at any point will not be tolerated. In other words: he's happily married and not interested in changing that. Deal with it."

Quistis turned to continue to Squall's office, and started when she saw him leaning casually against the wall out of sight of the waiting room, with his arms folded across his chest and a small smile playing about his lips.

"You're hired." He said, smile broadening into a grin.

"Sorry, I've already got a job." Quistis said, smiling back at him as she led the way back to his office.

"Well, thanks anyway for sorting _that_ out at least. It'll make my job of finding an assistant a little less aggravating." He said, crossing his office to his desk and leaning against it.

"How are your cadets coming along?" He asked her.

"Fine. So far, everyone's passed their prerequisites and is simply waiting for the field exam. I just took Trey into the Fire Caverns this morning to try for that new GF we found." Quistis reported.

Squall raised his eyebrows with interest and asked her, "How'd it go?"

"It was a tough fight. Without Shiva we wouldn't have made it. Speaking of which, here." Quistis said, handing Squall the token back. He took the token and pocketed it.

Squall frowned, saying, "It shouldn't have been that tough, it was a low level fire elemental, wasn't it?"

Quistis shook her head, "No. I think its strength was underestimated. This GF is on the same level as Odin, I think. Maybe even Bahamut. It was about as hard to defeat as Bahamut was, at any rate. And this one had a distinct personality. Very stubborn and very proud."

"Really? But Cadet Stone defeated it? And it agreed to join him?" Squall asked.

"He had to drop his junction with Shiva, but yes." Quistis answered.

"How shall we register it then?" Squall asked, rounding his desk to sit down at his computer and pulling up the cadet's file.

"Cadet Trey Stone. GF Loki, fire elemental." Quistis answered. Squall entered the information onto the computer.

Upon finishing that task, Squall leaned back in his chair and said, "So, everyone's ready for the field exam it sounds like. And Nida's made some good headway down in the MD level, though I don't know yet how things are going down there today. I gave him Diablos though, so it should make things a lot easier for him."

Quistis couldn't help a sigh of relief at hearing that, "Good. So he should be on pace to finish by the end of this week."

"If not sooner," Squall agreed.

"Then it's the field exam next week." Quistis said.

Squall nodded. "I have every confidence that your cadets will pass Quistis. This is the largest and best-trained group of cadets I've yet seen, and the majority of them are your students."

"Thank you Squall." Quistis said, warmed by his statement.

Then he sighed, glancing toward his door with a grimace, "I really hope I manage to find an assistant soon. I'm going to need all the help I can get if I'm going to keep things running smoothly while trying to train for the SeeD games _and_ train the gunbladers part time."

Quistis frowned, thinking about that, and said, "Well, for this week I'm going to be on a light schedule until after the field exam. Mostly, just the underclassmen, and only in the mornings. If you need help weeding out the wannabes from the people who are actually serious about working for you, let me know. I'm certainly not opposed to booting out the barracudas."

Squall laughed at that and grinned up at her, "Thanks Quistis, I'll take you up on that. In fact, you can start now by sending in the next applicant before you leave."

"I got rid of more than half of them, and I'm not going to go through your list. How about I just send someone in and you decide if they're worth your time or not?" Quistis suggested.

"All right then. And thanks again." Squall said, folding his arms as Quistis nodded and left his office.

Returning to the waiting area, Quistis approached the nearest applicant and asked, "May I see your resume?" The young woman nodded and handed it to Quistis. She scanned through it quickly and studied the young woman for a moment. Young and pretty, but she had dressed conservatively and was by all appearances serious about applying for the job as _assistant_ , rather than _mistress_.

Handing the resume back to the girl, Quistis said, "The commander will see you now."  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wiping sweat off his face, Nida glanced at his watch and sighed. Five P.M. and he was nowhere near finished with the power core. Oh, the damage done by the grendels had been slight, but as Nida had feared, the power fluctuations had thrown everything out of whack. Which meant that he had to recalibrate _everything_ , a painstaking, exacting task.

Fortunately, he didn't have to reset all the breakers or replace all the fuses. He'd checked all of them first, a task that had taken half of the day to complete. The recalibration was nearly done, and the rest of what he had to do could be started tomorrow, so there was no need to stay late today, fortunately.

"Nida? Are we about done here?" Kris asked him.

Nida straightened up and groaned as he heard his spine crack, answering, "Yeah, if you guys want to knock off for the day, that's fine. I'll be done here shortly anyway."

"We'll leave when you do. I know we didn't have too much trouble today, but still…"Kris replied.

"I'll be fine, really." Nida said.

Kris shook his head solemnly after glancing around at the rest of the SeeDs and said, "We'll wait."

"All right." Nida sighed, and then bent back down to his task, finishing the calibration a few minutes later.

He packed up the tools he'd used and stowed them away carefully, grabbing his shirt from a railing he'd tossed it over. He wiped his sweaty face with it and then put it back on, wincing. If he intended to stop by Quistis' place later on, he'd need a shower first.

He followed the group to the elevator, and leaned against the wall, sighing, while someone pressed the button for the main floor.

"Tired?" Kris asked him.

"Yeah. Long day." Nida answered.

"Got a lot done though," Kris commented.

"Yeah, we did. Barring any unforeseen disasters, we should be done with this in just a few days." Nida said.

"And then what?" Kessie asked him.

"I dunno. Get an early jump on the weekend I guess, unless Squall decides you guys need something to do." Nida answered. The bell pinged, signaling that they'd reached their floor, and the doors opened.

As they all exited the lift, Kris looked back and asked, "a couple of us were gonna get a few beers. You in Nida?"

Nida shook his head, "Some other time Kris, I'm beat. All I really want is a shower, dinner, and a couple of hours to just…relax."

Kris gave him a knowing grin, and a couple of the other guys chuckled softly as he said, "With a certain blond, I'm guessing." Nida shrugged smiling slightly, not bothering to deny it.

"Well, see you tomorrow then." Kris said, slipping his arm around the waist of one of the young men and kissing him on the cheek. "Let's go get those beers."

"You buying?" the young man asked.

"Maybe the first round." Kris answered as they walked off.

"What about you Kess, you going with them?" Nida asked her.

She shook her head, answering, "No, I'm beat too. I'm gonna shower, get dinner and sack out."

"All right. You have a good night then." Nida told her, and she smiled slightly and left.

He watched her go for a moment, and then headed toward his room, wondering if Quistis was busy and if she wanted to get dinner with him. He decided he'd give her a call after his shower. He certainly didn't want to see her as grimy and sweaty as he was right at the moment.

Upon entering his apartment, he went straight for the bathroom, not even bothering with the beer he had in his fridge. He needed that shower too badly. The beer could wait.

He sighed in relief as he stepped under the warm spray and the heat began to soothe the tension in his back and neck. He hadn't had to swing his sword around at all today but that didn't mean that what he'd done hadn't been physically taxing. Climbing up and down ladders, prying loose stuck bolts and wrestling with rusted bits and pieces certainly wasn't easy, and he had the skinned knuckles to prove it.

But he'd made far more headway today than he had since he'd started this project, thanks largely to the fact that today at least, they hadn't had to fight a single monster. Nida had debated with himself over telling his team that Diablos was responsible for that, and had reluctantly decided not to. He didn't want them to relax their guard, just in case something really big that Diablos couldn't discourage attacked them.

He had just completed his shower and was drying his hair when his phone rang. Draping his towel around his neck, he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hi Nida, its me. Are you busy?" Quistis asked him.

"No, not really, I just got out of the shower. I was going to call you after I got dressed." Nida answered.

"So…. you're naked." Quistis said. Nida could hear the smile in her voice.

"And wet." He added, grinning.

"I'll be right over." The receiver clicked, indicating that Quistis had hung up. Nida turned his phone off with a bemused smile and wondered if he should bother even attempting to get dressed. He compromised by putting on a pair of shorts, not wanting to answer the door in the buff. He was reasonably certain his neighbors wouldn't necessarily _mind_ seeing him unclothed, but he preferred to allow only Quistis that particular view of him.

It wasn't arrogance or false modesty that prompted him to do that; he knew he was decent looking at least, if not as handsome as some. He just wasn't an exhibitionist and didn't need to have people drooling over what his body looked like to feel like his existence was being validated. He also, much like Squall, didn't care to be put on display, either by accident or design.

A knock at the door prompted Nida to grin as he went to answer it, confirming that it was Quistis on the other side, with a basket over one arm and a small smile on her face.

"You didn't have to get dressed on my account," She said with a smirk.

"Hi sweetie, come in." His grin widened and he opened the door to allow her entrance.

Indicating the basket, he asked, "What's all this?"

"Dinner, along with a few other things. I hope you haven't eaten yet." Quistis answered.

"No, I haven't. I got right into the shower the minute I got home. I wanted to see if you'd share dinner with me tonight, and I really needed to clean up before I'd be fit for company." Nida said, smiling at her and thinking about how beautiful and sweet she was. Every time they were together, Nida learned a little more about her, and as a result, fell a little more in love with her.

He couldn't help coming up to her then and sliding his hands around her waist and kissing her gently.

Caressing her cheek, he smiled at her and said, "Thank you. That's so sweet of you. I'll have to return the favor sometime."

"I'll hold you to that," Quistis grinned at him.

Strolling casually toward Nida's smallish kitchen/dining room, she gazed around the apartment, finding it clean, but spare. It was pretty typical, really, of a male SeeD's apartment…neat and organized, but nothing much in the way of décor beyond comfortable furniture and state of the art electronics. A bookcase overflowing with volumes ranging from practical, with books on mechanics and engineering, to fanciful, which included fiction novels from various genres, stood against the wall midway between his sitting room and the dining area.

"Looks like you need another bookcase," Quistis commented as she sat the basket on the table and began removing the contents. The food portion, anyway. The rest she left in the basket for later.

Nida, following Quistis to the dining room after locking his door, came up behind her and slipped his hands around her waist again, hugging her close.

He kissed the side of her neck lightly and then her cheek, saying, "I could use one, but haven't gotten around to getting it." recognizing the logo on the take away boxes, he added, "I was expecting something from the cafeteria."

"Xu told me this was your favorite place to order out." Quistis said. The feel of his warm, nearly naked body against hers, the clean smell of soap and _him_ …made her want to forget about dinner and drag him into the bedroom.

"I'll have to thank her for tattling on me, just this once." Nida said, tightening his arms around Quistis. She crossed her arms over his and leaned back, smiling over her shoulder at him. He immediately seized that invitation and captured her lips with his own.

Quistis slowly turned in his arms and he pulled her closer, stroking his hands up and down her back, while she did the same to him. Nida closed his eyes and sank into the kiss, losing himself in the tastes and textures, the feel of her in his arms. After working all day it felt good to just hold her.

An inopportune rumble from Nida's midsection reminded them of the reason for Quistis' visit.

"We'd better eat before the food gets cold." She said quietly.

"Yeah. I feel a little strange standing here in just a pair of shorts, while you're fully dressed." Nida commented with a half-smile, releasing Quistis and heading into the kitchen to get plates and utensils.

Quistis laughed softly, "I like the view from here."

Nida's laugh echoed hers, and he said, "I guess I don't have to ask what your intentions are, do I?"

Quistis quirked up an eyebrow as they sat down at his table and replied, "You'd be surprised."

"Would I?" he asked her, then smiled again and added, "surprise me then."

"Okay then. Here's surprise number one." She said, producing a bottle of red wine. Nida smiled and got a couple of glasses while Quistis opened the wine.

He would have preferred beer with this particular meal, but he appreciated Quistis' initiative. And the wine did pair well with the food, which was indeed a surprise to Nida.

"So, how was your day today?" he asked her. He liked the whole normality of what they were doing, having a meal together and talking about how the day had gone for them both. Just relaxing and…. being.

"Well, I went with cadet Stone to the Fire Caverns today to see if we could get that new GF that was discovered awhile back." She answered.

"How'd that go?" he wondered, taking a bite of his food.

"It was a tough fight. It turned out to be a stronger GF than we'd figured. Took awhile to defeat it and it was touch and go for a moment. But we beat it in the end, and now cadet Stone has a new GF. He's started working with it already." Quistis answered, then she asked, "How about you? Things go better down there with Diablos?"

"Yes," Nida answered her. "Much better. Got a ton more work done today than I'd thought we would. We should be done with everything by midweek."

"Well, that's good." Quistis said, and then frowned as she caught sight of his raw knuckles and scraped hands and arms.

She reached over and gently took one of his hands in hers, saying, "That looks painful." She lightly ran her fingers over his abraded skin, and then turned the hand over to see fresh blisters overlaying his sword calluses.

Nida shrugged, taking a sip of the wine. "Yeah, I'm a little sore, but I hate wearing the gloves. Messes with my grip. The last thing I want to do when tugging on a rusted bolt with one hand, while hanging onto a ladder ten meters up the side of a bulkhead with the other, is to have my grip slip."

"No, that would definitely be a bad thing." Quistis said. She went into the basket again and produced a small vial of potion. She placed a dab of it onto the palm of her hand and rubbed it into Nida's, massaging the palm, fingers and wrist with the healing salve until the blisters and abrasions had faded.

Nida's mouth went dry and he took a sip of wine to moisten it, flexing his fingers and studying the smooth, blemish-free skin of his palm. The soreness from gripping tools and ladders and the like had faded as well. And the feel of Quistis' strong hands massaging his had ignited a longing for her to continue her ministrations on the rest of his body.

Clearing his throat, he said, "I take it Squall told you about giving me Diablos." He hesitated a moment when Quistis gestured to his other hand, then switched his fork to the one she'd healed, and laid his hand in hers.

Doing the same thing with this hand as she'd done with the other, Quistis confirmed, "He did. I went up there to let him know about the new GF so he could register it under cadet Stone's profile." She laughed slightly and continued, "I ended up volunteering to help him with his search for an assistant."

Nida laughed at this and asked her, "how's that coming along anyway? I know he's been having a lot of…. frustrations regarding it."

Quistis laughed with him and answered, "Well, when I passed through the waiting area, more than half of the girls there looked ready to throw everything they had at Squall. One of them even stormed out in a big huff when he wouldn't play. I decided to step in and sort it out. I sent more then half of them off."

Nida sighed when she'd finished with his hand and curled his fingers around hers, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing her fingertips. She smiled and caressed his cheek briefly before withdrawing her hand.

"Thank you," He said, then asked her, "So, I take it you're screening the applicants for him?"

"In the afternoons, yeah. Hopefully he'll find someone that will work out by the end of the week." Quistis answered.

"Let's hope. This business has got to be driving him crazy." Nida said, sipping at his wine. He began to feel pleasantly relaxed, the alcohol and the company both easing away the tensions of the day.

"Well, aside from his being a little shorter-tempered than normal, you wouldn't really notice." Quistis said. She pushed her plate aside, finished with her meal, and sighed happily.

"Thank you for dinner." Nida said, smiling warmly at her, adding, "Are you finished?" at her nod, he said, "I'll clear up."

He got up and took the empty plates and utensils and placed them in the sink, returning for the leftover food, placing the containers in his refrigerator. When he completed that task, he returned to the dining room to see Quistis pouring the last of the wine into both of their glasses.

Raising his eyebrows, he warned her, "If I drink that, I may end up falling asleep on you. Wine tends to make me sleepy, and I'm tired as it is."

"Don't worry about it. I want you relaxed." Quistis said, smiling at him and drinking the rest of the wine. Nida drank his as well and set his glass aside. He began to feel delightfully fuzzy and smiled at Quistis.

"Now," Quistis said in her best instructor voice, "I want you to strip and go lay down on your bed, face down please." Nida stared at her for a moment, puzzled, then did as she asked…or rather, _ordered_ him to do.

Propping his head up on his crossed arms, Nida asked her, "Okay, now what? What have you got in mind?"

"Just relax." Quistis said. Nida did his best, but lying naked on his bed with the woman he was head over heels in love with in the same room wasn't terribly conducive to _relaxation_. The wine _did_ help however, the pleasant fuzziness seeping into his bones.

Then Quistis got on the bed with him, straddling his hips. She was still fully dressed, a fact that Nida found both interesting and slightly frustrating. He sighed, closing his eyes and willing the remaining tension out of his body. Then Quistis began rubbing at his back and shoulders, working at the knots and kneading out the stiffness, using the healing potion as a liniment to ease the pain. He groaned as her warm, strong hands began at his neck and shoulders, kneading and rubbing them and working up the back of his neck and into his hair, coming through it with her fingers.

"You have about a million years to stop doing that." He murmured, eyes closed. Quistis laughed softly and worked her way down his back, kneading and stroking the muscles all the way to his sacrum. He figured that she would stop there as had most of the girls he'd been with who'd performed that same service for him (not that there had been all that many, really). He was mildly surprised when she did not, instead shifting off of him and continuing down over his backside and down his legs.

Arousal warred with fatigue as Quistis' gentle hands skillfully drove away sore, tight muscles, even massaging his feet. _That_ had transported him into a state of bliss.

Such was Quistis' skill with massage that Nida was relaxed nearly to sleep when she finished what she was doing and told him, "Okay, turn over."

He smiled slightly and did as instructed, stifling a yawn. But the soporific effect of his back massage was undone when Quistis started on his front. Despite her skill with her hands, the opposite effect was gained when she started first with his hands, like she'd done before. Then she worked her way up his forearms, to his upper arms and shoulders.

He didn't know why he should find this part so arousing when fatigue and relaxation had gained the upper hand while she'd been working on his back, but it did. Perhaps it was watching her do it. Feeling her hands on his body was always pleasurable, and she touched places that were more sensitive than his back and legs and feet.

She smiled as she noticed his reaction, but didn't comment, and concentrated on other parts of his body, making him shiver as she worked over his chest and belly, and down his thighs to his feet again.

By the time she had finished, all of his sore, stiff muscles were gone and he felt wonderfully relaxed…and so aroused he could barely think straight.

"Feel better?" She asked him with an arch smile.

He raised his eyebrows, his hazel eyes smoldering, and replied, "Almost." He reached his hand out and threaded his fingers through hers, gently tugging her toward him. Not with any real force, just an indication of what he wanted.

"Come here sweetheart." He murmured softly. She followed his direction, eventually ending up sitting astride his thighs. She was still wearing her uniform, her whip still hanging off her belt.

He sat up then, slowly stroking his hands up her thighs as he did before taking her face in his hands and kissing her thoroughly. He tasted and teased her while working his fingers back into her hair, pulling the clip off and letting it down.

He trailed his lips lightly across Quistis' cheek and down her neck, making her close her eyes and moan softly. Nida unfastened her uniform tunic, revealing the black lace bra she wore beneath it, continuing the path his lips had taken down her neck to the creamy skin revealed when he'd opened the tunic.

Nida did his best to keep the pace slow and sensual, kissing Quistis' skin wherever each garment that was removed revealed it. But with desire clawing at his gut and making his heart throb in time with his aching arousal, it was all he could do not to simply throw her on the bed and ravish her.

Fortunately, Quistis was just as eager as he was, so it wasn't long before her boots rested upon the floor next to Nida's bed right along with her whip and all of her clothes. Then they did their best to ravish each other, with Quistis holding him down and straddling him again, making him groan as she lowered herself slowly onto him.

But Nida would have none of that. Some other time perhaps, and she could ride him to nirvana. But not this time.

He sat up; and wrapped his arms around her holding her close, then deftly shifted their positions. They ended up with him on top, kissing her breathless.

"I thought you were tired." Quistis managed as he assaulted her senses with passionate kisses and gentle nips at her neck. She gasped as he began moving within her.

"I'm not that tired." He murmured softly, adding, "You can ride me all you want next time." Then words failed them both as passion overwhelmed their senses.

They were both drowning in each other, swept away as their tension increased with every touch, every stroke. Quistis' nails raked lightly down Nida's back, making him shiver as he drove them both to completion. Nida increased his pace; Quistis' moans spurring him on to greater intensity. Then she shuddered, clutching at him as she came apart in his arms, calling out his name as she climaxed.

Nida sealed his lips over hers, swallowing her cries as he reached his own peak and drowned as he fell off the other side.

They came back to themselves with Quistis' hands in his hair and his lips still on hers. He pulled back and smiled down at her, still breathless and humming from their lovemaking.

"Hell of a massage." He grinned down at her.

"You can return the favor later." Quistis smiled. Nida kissed her again, this time gently.

"Count on it."

He stroked her hair, gazing down at her, and sighed. He'd missed having her with him the previous night, and hoped he could convince her to stay with him now. She'd seemed oddly reluctant to do that however, once they'd returned to Garden. He wondered why, but was almost afraid to ask. He worried that by doing so it would drive her away, that it would cause whatever fears she harbored (and didn't everyone have them?) get the better of her.

He would have to be patient, would have to show her how he felt since _telling_ her was too easy to do and so early in the relationship would not be recognized for what it truly was.

But he didn't want her to leave. He wanted to sleep with her wrapped around him, with her breath in his face and fingers in his hair. Wanted to wake up with her, share a cup of coffee, share a shower, share _everything_ …. but it was too soon. Much too soon.

"Stay with me tonight?" He asked her. He wouldn't beg, though he was on the verge of it.

"I can't." Quistis said. Nida shifted off of her and rolled onto his back, trying not to feel hurt, trying not to feel used, and failing on both counts. Quistis cuddled close and rested her head on his chest, caressing it. She sensed his hurt, and didn't understand it. Not really.

She'd have thought that he'd be okay with her spending her time with him like this, then leaving to sleep in her own bed, in her own space, leaving him to his. Wasn't that the way it was supposed to work? They each had their own lives, and she didn't want to spend so much time with him that he grew tired of her.

There were other reasons too. Reasons that she could neither explain nor articulate to him yet, not without revisiting memories that still haunted her. If she were to be honest, at least with herself if not with him, it was because she was afraid.

Deep down, she was terrified. Afraid of what she felt and what it would mean to her; afraid of feeling trapped and helpless, rendered so by her own heart. Afraid of making yet another mistake that would destroy her utterly. She was afraid to win, and afraid to lose. She was just…. afraid.

Physical intimacy was easy. It was the rest of it that was hard.

Nida stroked her hair softly, and wondered at her silence. He wouldn't ask her to stay again, but he would do his best to convince her in other ways.

It was with that thought in mind that he pushed aside his hurt feelings and smiled slightly at her, saying, "I believe I owe you a massage."


	7. Breathe

"Hey Alan! Can you read off what that output indicator's showing?" Nida called over to one of the SeeDs that were assisting him with his repairs.

"Sixty-eight percent." The SeeD answered.

Nida frowned and made an adjustment at a panel he was working on and asked, "Okay, now what's it reading?"

"Eighty-two percent."

Nida made another adjustment. "Now?"

"Ninety-six percent. Now it's ninety-nine, and …there it is. Hundred percent." The SeeD confirmed as Nida continued the adjustments.

"Good." He shut that panel and went over to another one and opened it, typing in an access code below a screen that activated at his touch. Then he scrolled silently through the data that had appeared.

Power core status: Good.

Main drive linkup: Good.

Desalination Tanks: Good.

Filtration. Airflow. Desalination flow rate. Power core output stability. Main and auxiliary switches. Electrical, plumbing, heating/cooling systems. Food and water stores. Nida read off all the data pertaining to these and other aspects of maintaining Balamb Garden and was satisfied that all showed green.

He transmitted a status report to Squall and signed off of the system, then shut the panel.

"Are we done?" Kris asked him.

"We're done. Barring a freak accident or something, Garden's ready to go." Nida answered, wiping his hands off and starting to pack up the tools.

"Awesome! Two days early! I say it's party time!" Kris exulted as they all headed toward the lift.

"Where do you want to go?" Alan asked him.

"I say we hit the pub tonight. You in Nida?" Kris asked him.

Nida shrugged noncommittally, and another of the SeeDs said, "Nah, I'll bet he's gonna spend some quality time with Quistis tonight."

Nida frowned at that. He wished he was, but for some reason that he couldn't fathom, Quistis seemed to be avoiding him. He shook himself out of that, reasoning that she was busy, doing double duty working with Squall in his assistant search and teaching, making herself available for her cadets. Maybe he was obsessing too much and needed to back off, give her space. They'd always had difficulties connecting because of their jobs. There were a number of reasons that he hadn't seen her since the night she'd given him that massage, and he'd returned the favor. He was worrying too much.

Bullshit. She had a phone. She knew his number. She could have at least called. _He'd_ called her, _twice_. He'd left a message each time and then simply waited. He wasn't going to pester her or bother her. But if she wanted space, he'd give her space. It would have been nice of her however, to _tell_ him that, if that was what she wanted.

"I'm in." Nida said quietly. The rest of the SeeDs stared at him, concerned.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Hey Quistis! How's everything going?" Selphie bounced up to Quistis' table with her usual enthusiasm and plopped down into the seat opposite hers. She set her tray of food down and sipped at her drink, smiling at Quistis.

"Fine. So far anyway." Quistis answered, while thinking privately, _it's not fine. I'm scared. Scared of what I'm feeling. And my fear is hurting someone I care about._ But she couldn't tell Selphie that. It'd be all over Garden by breakfast that Quistis was having boyfriend troubles. Again.

One thing (out of many she'd learned) that Quistis appreciated about Nida was the fact that, just as he'd said, he was an open book. What he thought, what he felt, could be read in his face, heard in his voice, felt in his touch. It was a double-edged sword, she'd come to discover.

She could tell his feelings for her went beyond mere friendship with a dash of lust, she'd seen it in his eyes from the moment they'd started seeing each other. She didn't want to name it, but she couldn't deny that he appeared to care deeply for her.

And she felt the same way. So why was she running away? Avoiding him? He couldn't hide the hurt in his voice, it was painfully apparent in the last message he'd left on her voicemail. She thought she should at least call him back, maybe try and explain what her problem was.

But she didn't want to tell him about Sean. She didn't want to revisit that horrible time in her life, and she didn't want to show Nida the scars he'd left behind. She didn't want Nida to pay for her mistake; it wasn't fair to him.

 _And hiding from him is? Face it Quistis, no matter what you do, you're going to end up hurting him. And yourself as well._ She thought.

"Hello? Quisty? Where'd you go? You sorta zoned out on me a little bit there." Selphie said, and Quistis blinked, realizing that she had completely tuned Selphie out.

"Sorry Selphie, I've got a lot on my mind these days." Quistis said.

"Yeah, I can see that. What with the field exam coming up, and helping Squall out in the office, it's a wonder you have any time to yourself at all." Selphie said sympathetically.

"That's right." Quistis said.

"So, I heard you'd bugged out on us last weekend. Did you do anything fun?" Selphie asked her.

"I went to Deling City. It was fun just to get out of here for a few days." Quistis answered.

"I noticed that you came back looking kinda…rosy. Did you meet someone there?" Selphie asked her, grinning hopefully.

Quistis hesitated about answering that. Nobody really knew that she and Nida were dating each other; they'd only just started. She didn't know what he'd told his friends, if anything, and Quistis hadn't had the opportunity to really talk to anyone about it either. Nor had she wanted to. Her private life was hers, and no one else's.

If her experiences with the Trepies had taught her anything at all, it was how to play her cards close to the vest when it came to her social life. It could be argued of course that her reticence had in fact exacerbated the situation with Sean, and Quistis acknowledged to herself that it likely had. But if there was one thing that she couldn't stand, it was being the subject of gossip.

Quite simply, she hated people talking about her, and strove to give those gossips, well meaning or not, as little to talk about as possible. It was one of the main reasons that, aside from her early crush on Squall, Quistis had studiously avoided dating anyone from Balamb Garden. Until now.

It left her in the uncomfortable position of lying to her best friend and telling her that she hadn't met anyone, or that she had and he was from Deling City. Neither response was the right one. Outright _denying_ what she'd shared with Nida that weekend was, to her mind, just plain wrong. It cheapened it, made it so much less than it actually had been, and again, should he find out, would hurt him and make him feel that she was ashamed to own up to the potential of their relationship. Ashamed of _him_ , which of course was completely untrue.

She didn't know how to answer Selphie's question. But she tried.

"I.. uh…" She began hesitantly, then started as Selphie leaped to her feet, exclaiming, "Irvy! Hi baby! When did you get back?" then she launched herself at the tall cowboy who'd just walked into the cafeteria, nearly knocking him down with her enthusiasm.

"Just now, baby. You busy?" He asked, smiling down at her.

"Not at the moment, just eating dinner with Quisty here." Selphie answered, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back and gave her a kiss, then whispered something into her ear that caused her to turn pink and giggle.

Quistis smiled as she watched them greet each other. They'd split briefly a few months back, just before Squall and Rinoa's wedding, but had reconciled not long afterward. She couldn't help thinking how cute they were now, and had noticed a definite difference in Irvine's attitude. He was still an incorrigible flirt, but to Quistis at least, appeared to have toned that down considerably.

It hinted at an emerging maturity, and a more concerted effort on his part with regards to their relationship. Oh, it was still rocky and it still had its ups and downs, but he seemed more sincere about it than he had been in the past.

"Tell me all about your weekend later okay Quisty? Irvy and I have some catchin' up to do! Bye!" Selphie caroled happily as she and Irvine swept out of the cafeteria, her half-eaten dinner forgotten.

Quistis sighed. Selphie's energy tended to exhaust everyone around her with the exception of Irvine it seemed. She poked listlessly at her cooling dinner, wondering what was wrong with her.

She was alone and eating cafeteria food when she could have been with Nida, eating world class takeout, or popcorn, or freakin' peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for that matter. It wouldn't have mattered, just so long as she was with him. She missed him suddenly, very desperately.

She had a phone. All she had to do was call.

Pulling out her phone, she typed in the numbers.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nida showered, shaved and put on some clean clothes in preparation for a night down at the Balamb pub. He wasn't out for anything but a couple of beers and some halfway decent pub grub, but he also wasn't going to show up sweaty and grimy straight from work either.

Running a comb through his still damp hair, Nida pocketed his wallet and keycard then grabbed his jacket and left. As the door to his apartment closed behind him, a muffled ringing sounded from between the cushions of his couch.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quistis listened to the ringing, her heart sinking with each one that went unanswered. At length, Nida's voicemail picked up.

 _"This is Nida. Please leave a message and I'll call back."_

Quistis sighed and said, "Hi, it's me. I'm…I guess you're out. Call me when you can. I'm… sorry." She disconnected the call and sighed again, phone resting against her lips briefly before she pocketed it. Then she got up to discard the remains of her dinner, casting a glance at the tray that Selphie had left behind. Shrugging inwardly, she picked up that tray as well and discarded them both.

Once that task was done she headed back to her apartment. What else was there to do, really? Selphie was going to be occupied with Irvine for the rest of the night, likewise with Rinoa and Squall. And while she was disappointed and a little worried at being unable to reach Nida, she couldn't really expect him to simply wait around on her. He had friends. He might have gone out with them. People did that sometimes.

But that left her with nothing that she really wanted to do, and no one she really wanted to be with. Sighing as she entered her apartment, she decided that for lack of anything more stimulating to do, a bubble bath and a glass of wine would have to do.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"So, Nida, it's cool that you're hangin' with us, but why aren't you with Quistis tonight? Or better yet, why didn't you bring her along?" Kris asked him.

Nida frowned, and then took a sip of his beer before answering, "I don't know. I haven't managed to get hold of her for a couple of days. She hasn't returned any of my messages either."

"Okay, what'd you do?" Alan smirked at him.

Nida's frown deepened, "nothing that I'm aware of. She just started acting strange when we got back from Deling City."

Kris exchanged a glance with his date, and the young man shrugged, "well, you got me on that one, I know nothing at all about women."

Nida snorted and said dryly, "Thanks for cluing me in Alex." Then he sighed, "maybe I just need to…I dunno, back off a bit? Relax? Am I being too pushy?"

"Not that I can tell, but then I don't make it a habit of keeping up on the local gossip. Aside from the fact that you prefer women, I don't pay attention to your affairs." Kris shrugged.

"You know, mentioning gossip, I've just come to realize something," Alan said.

"Yeah? What's that?" Nida asked him.

"Well, you know the Trepies keep a pretty close eye on Quistis, right?" Alan asked. Nida nodded. He was aware of that, though they hadn't given him any trouble at all for his interest in her.

"Yeah, but they haven't bothered me about dating her…" Nida said, poking at his cooling, half-eaten fish and chips.

"Maybe they don't know yet. Anyway, what I've realized is this; aside from Quistis crushing on Squall for however long, there's no scuttlebutt about her dating anyone from Garden. There's been gossip about her dating people, but it's never been anyone from here." Alan said.

Nida grunted noncommittally. He didn't care much for gossip, most of it was wrong anyway. But thinking back, he didn't notice Quistis showing any interest in or dating anyone in Garden either. Certainly her Trepies would have noticed and there'd have been all kinds of buzz about it if she had. But there was nothing. How significant that was, Nida wasn't sure. Nor was he sure of how it impacted his current situation.

"Well, you know what I think about _that_. People who have nothing better to do than obsess about who's dating whom should get a life." Nida groused.

"I agree. Anyone for another round?" Kris asked the group at large.

Nida raised his now empty bottle, and the others followed suit. Eventually his chips got cold and soggy and he gave up on trying to eat his congealing dinner. They took it in turns with buying rounds; until more time had passed than Nida had thought and he was well beyond comfortably buzzed to outright drunk.

It was while he was walking up the hallway to his apartment (and how he'd managed to _get_ back to garden was something of a mystery to him, he only knew that he hadn't driven) that he thought of attempting to call Quistis and reached for his phone…only to find that he didn't have it with him.

It was probably for the best, he reflected as he checked the time. It was way too late, she was probably asleep and getting a call at midnight from a drunk…boyfriend? Was not likely something that would endear said boyfriend to her. Nida wasn't even sure that he _was_ her boyfriend. Sure they'd gone out a few times, had had great sex, and he enjoyed her company immensely. And _yes_ , dammit, he loved her. But he had no idea how she felt about _him_. Not really.

They hadn't talked about it, and the thought that she might not share his feelings was killing him.

"This is why I don't drink like this all the time," He grumbled to himself. If getting drunk made Squall stupid (and what a revelation _that_ had been when Nida saw it with his own eyes at the absolutely _insane_ bachelor party that Irvine had cooked up), it made Nida sappy and maudlin, particularly if he was alone. It was sad, really.

Finally reaching his apartment, he keyed open the door, took off and dropped his jacket on the back of the couch and sat down with a sigh. It was while he was taking his shoes off that he suddenly remembered that his _team_ may have gotten an early start on the weekend, but _he_ still had to go in to work in the morning. He groaned and leaned back against the couch, kicking himself for his stupidity.

He already knew that tomorrow, correction, _today_ , was shaping up to be a rough day.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Well. You look like hell. Forget you had to work this morning?" Squall asked with a slight quirk to his lips.

"Yes." Nida admitted with a grimace.

"Here. You look like you need this more than I do." Squall handed him a cup of coffee and Nida took a grateful sip. The pain reliever that Nida had taken that morning was taking the edge off his headache, and the coffee helped with the rest of it. In short, he felt like shit but he could still do his job.

"Thanks." He said, taking another sip.

"Well, there's not much for you to do today beyond plotting the course for the field exam and manning the comm. for a bit." Squall told him, and Nida nodded, relieved.

"All right. I'll get on it. Anyone taking the Ragnarok out?" Nida asked.

"No." Squall answered.

"Okay." Nida left Squall's office and headed for the lift to the bridge, fishing his sunglasses out of his breast pocket. Despite Squall's comment that he looked like hell, Nida was showered, shaved and neatly dressed in his SeeD uniform. The "hell" part came into play with the sickly cast to his complexion and his bloodshot eyes.

He squinted as the bridge came into view and put his sunglasses on. The morning sun streamed beautifully, _blindingly_ into the control center of Garden, illuminating Xu's amused expression.

"You look like..." She began and Nida cut her off, grumbling, "I know." She laughed softly.

"What happened? Late night with Quistis?" She asked.

"I wish." He mumbled, adding, "No. Just a momentary lapse in judgment."

"Really? And what brought this on?" Xu asked, eyebrows raised.

Nida sighed and went over to the main control panel and logged into the comm. system.

As Garden's status started scrolling up on the screen, he answered, "I dunno. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like Quistis is avoiding me for some reason."

Xu frowned, "What are you talking about Nida? You guys just started dating. Aren't you getting along?"

"I thought we were. But… I don't know… we seem to be having trouble connecting. I don't know if I'm just over thinking this and she's too busy, or what. I've tried calling her and left messages, but she hasn't called me back yet. I'm not about to track her down like a stalker for crying out loud, but I really wish she'd at least tell me if she's not interested in continuing to see me." Nida answered, frowning at the screen as he plotted in the coordinates for the field exam and saved them. It was easier doing it that way than inputting it all by hand just before he had to pilot the thing there.

Xu sighed to herself, thinking, _Quistis, you really have no idea what you're throwing away here. Don't let your fears ruin this…_

Finally she said, "Well, I don't know if this makes you feel any better, but she hasn't returned any of my calls either. She gets like this sometimes Nida, you'll have to be patient with her. She's worth it, trust me."

"I know that Xu. I just wish I knew why she's acting like this." Nida said, leaning briefly on the control panel and dropping his head on a sigh, before straightening up and moving to his accustomed place next to the control arm.

It was a bizarre, illogical contrivance, one that Squall had more than once commented on, but it did what it was supposed to do. Nida privately agreed with Squall's opinion and wished that he'd had a little more input in the design. Perhaps they could have come up with something a little less awkward.

"Well, I'm not privy to her innermost thoughts, so I can only speculate on what she's thinking. I do know her fairly well though, and I have an idea of what's going on. To find out what it is though, you'll have to ask her." Xu said.

"You're not going to tell me." Nida said flatly.

"I don't spill secrets told in confidence. Besides, its not my story to tell." Xu said.

Nida studied her in silence. Xu was crisply attired in her SeeD uniform, her blue-black hair brushed and gleaming. They'd shared a brief liaison that had ultimately ended up with them just being friends. Now, as beautiful as she undoubtedly was, the thought of anything more intimate than a brief peck on the cheek with her felt somehow wrong. Like he was kissing his sister.

Finally he asked, "So there's a story behind this?" Xu nodded.

"There is. You'll just have to ask her. Don't be surprised if it takes some time for her to get around to telling you though. Just be patient." She answered then grinned suddenly, adding, "and try not to get carried away with the guys in the meantime."

Nida snorted at that, saying, "It's just as well I couldn't find my phone when I got in this morning, I was thinking of trying to call her. I'm sure that would have gone over _really_ well if I had."

Xu laughed, "You know, you wouldn't be the first guy that's drunk dialed someone and said something he's regretted later. You just got lucky this time."

"Yeah, I guess I've managed not to prove myself an ass yet." Nida said on a sigh.

Xu laughed, dark eyes twinkling, and said, "There's still time."

Nida groaned, "I need more coffee if I have to deal with this all day."  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"So, Ms…. Aisling? I've read your resume, and you appear to fit our requirements. Now I'd like to ask you: Why do you want this job?" Quistis laid the resume down on the desk and folded her hands, waiting for the young woman's answer.

"Well, I won't deny that I thought it would be interesting to work for Commander Leonhart. I'd like to see what he's like in person, what he's like to work with. Besides that, the job itself sounds challenging, and I like a challenge." The girl answered honestly.

Quistis raised her eyebrows. That statement could be taken a number of ways. But the girl looked serious and her resume was impressive. All that remained was the "Squall test". He always conducted the final interview, and more often than not, found the candidate wanting.

This young woman appeared calm and composed however, waiting patiently for Quistis' response.

"Thank you Ms. Aisling. We'll call you in the next day or so if we decide on a second interview." Quistis said. The girl nodded and left.

Stacking the girl's resume and references together, Quistis fastened them together with a paperclip and stuck a note on it with her opinion of the interview. Then she picked up several other such packets and left the conference room where she'd been conducting the preliminary interviews.

Between her and Squall, they'd worked out a plan for the assistant search; Quistis would screen the applicants and do the preliminary interviews, and then pass along those interviewees that she felt might be a good fit for Squall to do the final interviews. It narrowed the field considerably.

She knocked on the door to Squall's office, entering when she heard him acknowledge the knock.

"Those your latest recommendations?" Squall asked, nodding at the stack of papers Quistis was carrying.

"Yes," she answered, placing them on his desk.

He picked them up and glanced through them, asking, "Whom do you think I should call back first?"

Quistis pursed her lips, thinking, then answered, "Well, Ms. Aisling certainly seems serious about the job, and she says she likes a challenge, so maybe you should call her first."

Squall gave her a jaundiced look, saying "I've had it up to my eyebrows with girls that like a 'challenge'."

Quistis laughed, "I know, I've seen some of the weapons they brought to bear. I rather think she was talking more about the job than you though. We already know that _you_ can be a challenge."

Squall snorted, "Thanks. At least _you_ get it."

"Just be your normal charming self and if she doesn't leave the office in tears, we have a good candidate." Quistis smiled at him.

Squall frowned at her, "I'm not _deliberately_ mean…. at first."

"I know. I think you hit the end of your patience at about the fourth 'no', if I'm not mistaken." Quistis observed.

"Third." Squall corrected her, adding, "And getting lower by the day."

Quistis folded her arms and said, "Well, good luck. Hope you find someone that'll work out."

Squall grimaced and replied, "thanks."

"Well, let me know if you need anything. Otherwise, I'm going to head home." Quistis said.

"I'm fine, thank you Quistis. Have a good day." Squall said, dismissing her.

Quistis nodded and left Squall's office, surprising Nida in the hallway as he was preparing to knock on Squall's door.

"Hi." Quistis said, smiling tentatively at him. He smiled back at her, and Quistis studied him for a moment, wondering why he looked so pale, and why he was wearing sunglasses.

"Hi," he answered softly. "How are you doing? I haven't heard from you, and I was wondering…" he stopped, swallowing. This wasn't the place for such a conversation.

"I'm fine. I tried to call last night, but I guess you were out." Quistis said.

Nida grimaced, "Sorry about that. I was out with the guys and I guess I misplaced my damn phone. Still haven't found it, as a matter of fact. Can we…talk? Later?"

Quistis nodded, "Yeah…. you want to have dinner at my place?"

"Yes." He smiled slightly and took her hand, squeezing it gently.

Quistis smiled then and gestured toward her eyes, asking him, "So…um…the sunglasses?"

He laughed ruefully and dropped his head a moment, then admitted, "Yeah. Little too much 'fun' with the guys last night." Then he slid the glasses down and peered up at her, tired, bloodshot eyes crinkling at the edges in amusement at his own folly.

Quistis laughed then covered her mouth with her hand, saying, "Oh, dear. Are you okay?"

"Getting there. I'll be fine by tonight. I need to talk to Squall for a minute then I'm out of here. See you later then?" Nida asked her.

"Yes, later." Quistis confirmed. She squeezed his hand again and then left.

She walked back to her apartment, thinking about what she would fix for dinner. She smiled to herself, wondering how tender Nida's stomach would be as a result of his overindulgence.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nida knocked on Quistis' door a little over an hour later, hoping he wasn't too late. She hadn't specified when she expected him over, and he hadn't managed to locate his phone yet. He knew he'd find it, once he actually had time to _look_ for it.

Meanwhile, for lack of any additional information from Quistis as to when she expected him, he simply…. guessed.

He glanced down at the bouquet of flowers he held, feeling slightly foolish. He wasn't even sure if Quistis liked flowers, or if she did what kind, or if the occasion even warranted them, but he supposed it couldn't hurt to bring them. If nothing else, it'd give her a laugh.

Meanwhile, he couldn't help feeling like a fool. Like he was apologizing for something that he hadn't even done. Or worse, something that he _had_ done and was completely clueless about.

 _Love makes fools of even the wisest of men…_ Nida thought, vaguely remembering the quote and finding new insight in it.

Quistis answered the door then, looking flustered and a little flushed, strands of hair coming loose from her clip. She was wearing of all things an _apron_ , a pink frilly thing, something that Nida never expected to see _anyone_ wear, much less Quistis. He couldn't help but smile at her; she looked so darn cute in that silly getup.

"Oh! I guess I never told you when to come over, did I?" Quistis said, pushing her glasses back into place and trying to smooth her hair back into the clip, the flush on her cheeks deepening.

"Sorry," he shrugged, holding the flowers out to her. "I guessed wrong on the time. Are you…cooking?" It certainly would explain the apron, as well as adding to Nida's interest in her.

Quistis smiled then, taking the flowers and laying them in the crook of her arm gently, lightly stroking the cellophane they were wrapped in. She couldn't remember the last time someone had given her flowers, and the bouquet, by either accident or design, included some of her favorite types.

"Yes," Quistis answered, giving in to temptation and breathing in the sweet, fresh scent of the bouquet. "They're lovely Nida, thank you. Come in and I'll put these in some water."

Nida followed her into her apartment and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He didn't even know why he felt so foolish and silly about the flowers, and he'd absolutely agonized over what kind to bring. In the end, it didn't really matter; just bringing them was good enough. It proved once again the first rule of dating: when in doubt, bring flowers.

"So, what are you cooking?" Nida asked, gazing around Quistis' apartment. He'd never been there before, and found a great deal of interest in how she'd decorated her space.

Soft colors, comfortable furnishings and elegant artwork comprised her decor, all in keeping with what Nida would expect from a singularly elegant woman such as Quistis. Less expected was the display of weaponry on one of her walls and the complete lack of any electronic equipment that Nida could see. There was only a large, closed cabinet against the wall facing the couch.

He smiled slightly as he studied the weapons she had displayed. All of her whips were there, even her latest and best, Save the Queen. All were hung on their respective pegs on that wall. A Chef's Knife, a trophy from a tonberry kill hung there, as did a mesmerize blade. Several knives and daggers also occupied the wall, all apparently chosen for beauty of design as well as functionality.

"Well, it's nothing much, really. Just spaghetti and a salad. I hope that'll be okay." Quistis answered him, reaching for a vase on the top shelf of one of her cupboards. She stretched up and stood on her toes reaching for it.

Coming up behind her, Nida placed both hands gently at her waist and asked, "Can I help?" Quistis looked back at him and nodded, dropping her hands. Nida reached over her, took the vase she was reaching for and handed it to her.

"Thanks. So, you think you can handle spaghetti?" Quistis asked him while filling the vase with water, then adding the flowers. She placed it in the center of her small dining room table and admired it for a moment.

"I'm fine, but I'll stick with water to drink." Nida said.

Quistis laughed softly, "That's a good idea." She passed close to him on her way back into the kitchen to get plates and utensils, giving in to temptation and reaching out to run her fingers briefly, playfully through his hair.

He caught her hand as she withdrew it and trapped it against his cheek, then turned his face into it and kissed the palm softly, closing his eyes.

"I've missed you," he whispered, opening his eyes and gazing into hers, his emotions plainly evident in his gaze. So different from Squall's typically guarded expression that there was no comparison between the two men.

Quistis swallowed at what she saw in his eyes and whispered back, "I…I've missed you too. I'm sorry…I…." Nida placed his finger gently against her lips, stopping her.

"Later. We'll talk about it later. Dinner first." He told her softly. She nodded and he squeezed her hand before releasing it.

She continued to the kitchen and he followed, volunteering to set the table while she put the finishing touches on their meal.

As they sat down to eat, Nida said, "Thank you, by the way. I didn't know you could cook."

"Well, it wasn't much work, just boiling water and heating up the sauce. But I did make the salad and the garlic bread." Quistis smiled at him.

"Still, I appreciate the effort. And the garlic bread and salad are wonderful." Nida said, taking a bite.

Suddenly Quistis' eyes widened and she gasped, "Garlic bread? Oh, no! I'm sorry…"

Nida laughed, "I'm eating it too dear. And I don't mind if you don't." Quistis' laughter joined his and she shook her head.

"Good. I love the apron by the way," He grinned. "You look cute in it."

"Oh! I forgot I still had it on!" she exclaimed, cheeks pink. She started to untie it, but Nida stopped her.

"Leave it." He smiled.

"All right." She smiled back. They enjoyed the remainder of their dinner talking mainly of their jobs and what had gone on with each of them that day. By mutual accord, they decided to leave any serious discussion for after dinner.

Quistis knew she had to explain her sudden withdrawal to Nida, though he seemed relieved that whatever it was, it hadn't changed how she appeared to feel about him. She knew however that she needed to clear the air between them, if nothing else to reassure him, and her, about the status of their relationship.

Once they'd finished eating and cleared away the remaining food and dishes, Quistis took his hand and led him into her living room. She pulled him down next to her on the couch and cuddled close; craving the reassurance his warmth gave her. He remained silent, waiting. Waiting for her lead, she knew.

"I…I guess you're wondering…" She began, swallowing.

"Yes." He said simply. His tone was neutral. She appreciated the fact that he was not trying to pressure her, simply encourage her.

She exhaled briefly and said, "It wasn't anything you've done. In fact, you've been so wonderfully sweet, I sometimes feel like I don't deserve you…"

"Quistis…" Nida said in a tone of protest.

"I know. And that's not it, not why I…" She swallowed again; struggling with what she needed him to know and was still afraid to tell him.

She gazed helplessly into his eyes, and saw his confusion, but also saw a calm steadiness in his gaze. No anger, no frustration, though she knew it was probably there, somewhere. He was being far more patient with her than she'd thought he'd be, and that touched her…. her heart thumped painfully with an emotion she hadn't yet acknowledged.

Finally he gently stroked a strand of hair away from her cheek and said, "I have a question to ask you."

Quistis couldn't tear her eyes away from his serious gaze if she wanted to. His hazel eyes held an endless fascination for her, with flecks of green and blue blending with golden brown. They were dark with emotion but still calm and serene.

"What is it?" She finally asked him.

"Do you still want to go to Obel Lake with me this weekend? I've arranged it with Squall for me to have tomorrow off. We could leave a day early, spend the night in Deling City and head out to the lake the next morning." He suggested.

"I still have a couple of classes in the morning, but I can convince Squall to do without me tomorrow afternoon. He's just going to be doing interviews anyway." Quistis responded, relieved at the change in subject.

"Good. Call me when you're ready to go. I'll try to find my phone tonight. If I don't answer, just come on over." Nida said, smiling slightly.

"Okay." Quistis said. Then she dropped her eyes and admitted in a low voice, "I… was scared Nida. I'm sorry. I knew I was hurting your feelings and I felt terrible about it."

"I did worry for a bit that I might have done something…" Nida said. Then he gently laid his hand against her cheek, lifting her face so that her eyes met his.

Brushing his thumb gently over her bottom lip, he asked her softly, "When you feel ready, will you tell me why you're afraid? What you're afraid of?"

"Yes." She whispered.

"Good. I care about you Quistis. More than you know. I'd like to continue seeing you, and I hope you feel the same way but I don't want to push… I know you're busy; I've got a lot of things on my plate too. But… I'd like it if we could try and make time for each other. I want this to work. I want us to work." Nida said seriously.

Quistis' eyes began to sting, and she answered, "I do too Nida."

"Good." he murmured softly, then lowered his lips to hers and kissed her gently. She closed her eyes and melted into his warmth, giving in to the kiss. He pulled her close, deepening the kiss and taking her breath away. Then he broke off, stroking her hair and gazing into her eyes while they both caught their breath.

"Does this mean I get to call you my girlfriend?" he asked, eyes twinkling at the half-serious question.

"Only if I get to call you my boyfriend." Quistis answered him.

"Then I guess that's a 'yes'." He said, kissing her breathless again.

She speared her hands through his hair, combing her fingers through the thick, silky strands as she kissed him. He leaned forward, and she continued that motion, pulling him with her until they both lay on the couch. She sighed, caressing the back of his neck as his lips left hers and he began sprinkling soft kisses over her cheeks, her earlobe and down her neck.

His lips met hers again and she drowned again as she opened her mouth and let his tongue invade, feeling the heat and passion begin to overwhelm them. Before it did however, she had another question to ask him.

When he broke the kiss briefly to start unbuttoning her shirt, she whispered, "Stay with me tonight?"

He paused, gazing down at her, and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She answered, stroking his face.

"Okay." He kissed her again, closing his eyes tightly against the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him then.

He savored that small victory, deeply glad that she was willing to give him that much. He knew that it may not be every night that they could be together like this, though he hoped that eventually they could work up to it. In the meantime, he would take each step as it came, and do his best to show her how much he loved her.

Then maybe when he got around to actually telling her, she'd believe him.


	8. Escape

Nida really liked early mornings. Particularly when he was waking up next to someone. Indeed, waking up next to Quistis was the highlight of any day. Starting out like that, it didn't matter what happened later, he at least had that wonderful start to look back on.

Yawning, he stretched and smiled over at her, enjoying the sight of her sleeping face. Happy to be there, in her bed with her, at her invitation. He could have slept in, he didn't have to go in to work, but he'd finished what he'd needed to do in the MD level and that meant he could drop his junctions and finally start training for the qualifying meet.

He found the thought of a really good, challenging run exciting, and couldn't wait to get to it. But first…

Wrapping his arms around Quistis, he snuggled close to her, murmuring into her ear, "Good morning sweetheart."

She took a deep breath and stretched against him, prompting him to stroke his hand slowly down her belly and nuzzle at her neck. She shivered and sighed, arching herself closer to him. He took that as an invitation and tracked his hand lower, touching her intimately and making her gasp.

Nida's low, sensual laugh started a tense ache in Quistis' groin, and she shifted again as his slow caresses continued. She couldn't hold back a moan as his gentle assault continued, his lips nibbling along her neck while his other hand lightly teased one of her nipples. She dragged in a shivery breath, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe.

Unable to bear that torture much longer, she shifted to face him, kissing him deeply and whispering, "Good morning to you too."

Grinning at her, he kissed her again, pressing her close against him and whispered back, "Want to make it a _great_ morning?"

Quistis laughed softly and stroked her hand down his belly like he'd done with her, taking him in hand and caressing him, finding him more than ready for her. He groaned.

"Yeah, I think I can do that." She smiled at him, then her hand stilled in its motion as he kissed her deeply, caressing a breast and teasing the nipple again. He shifted, replacing his hand with his lips, suckling and nipping lightly at both breasts. Quistis arched her back with a moan deep in her throat, and Nida needed no further encouragement than that.

He moved over her again, sheathing himself in her body once again, fitting himself against her like she was made for him. Perhaps she was. Pausing, he gazed down at her at the dewed flush that already appeared on her cheeks, the unfocused glitter in her blue eyes as she gave herself up to the sensations of their lovemaking. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and he kissed her deeply once more, swallowing her gasps as he began to move.

Then there was no more thinking, only feeling. The warmth of being wrapped up in Quistis' body, the feel of her hands smoothing up and down his back, fingernails raking him lightly, the strength of her legs trapping him within her. The slow build of tension as he gradually increased his pace and tempo, unconsciously timing his strokes to his heartbeat and her harsh panting breaths.

Her breathless encouragement, her moans and cries, spurred him on, sweeping them both along as passion surged and took control. It built gradually until they both reached the peak, Quistis shuddering with a throaty growl, raking her nails down his back. Nida's release came hard upon the heels of Quistis' climax, drowning him as the sensation overwhelmed him for a moment. For a brief, glorious instant, he was deaf and blind to everything else but that.

He came to himself collapsed limply on top of her, trying to drag air into his starving lungs and realign his swimming senses. Quistis combed her fingers gently through the hair at the back of his neck, making him close his eyes and swallow. He wasn't fool enough to believe that sex equaled love. He'd had his share of lovers and had learned the difference.

But this was different. It had never just been about sex, about physical attraction. Not with Quistis. It had always been both, and he went into this relationship with no intentions of even attempting to separate the two.

"Wow. You're certainly frisky in the mornings, aren't you?" Quistis laughed breathlessly, prompting Nida to raise his head and grin down at her.

"Yup. I'm always up and rarin' to go with the sunrise." He said, kissing her and stroking her hair back from her face.

"So I've noticed. What time is it anyway?" Quistis asked him.

"Uh…" he checked his watch, and answered, "Six."

"Crap. I need to get up." Quistis grimaced. Nida obligingly moved off of her so she could get up. He lay on his side, head propped on his fist as she slid out of bed, trailing his hand down her arm as she moved away from him and catching her hand briefly, squeezing it.

Quistis looked back at him and smiled, her heart squeezing as well. Hyne, he was gorgeous, and the way he _looked_ at her…it made her feel scared, shivery and at the same time, excited.

Biting her lip, she said, "I need to get ready for work…if you want to wait here for me..."

Nida smiled gently at her and said, "I appreciate the invite, truly I do. But just because I don't have to work today doesn't mean I won't be busy. Just come by my place when you're done with your classes and with helping Squall out. We'll leave then." Yawning, he stretched his lean body like a cat, making Quistis' mouth go dry. They'd just had incredible sex, and Quistis' body was still humming from it, but seeing him like that… she suddenly wanted to jump him again.

He smiled at her, seeing the look in her eyes, and reminded her, "Don't you have to go to work this morning?"

"Yes. Dammit." Quistis frowned, then sighed as Nida finally got out of bed and got his clothes on.

He caught her in his arms and kissed her deeply before she headed toward the shower, pressing her body close to his.

"Have a good day honey." He murmured.

"I'm sure I will. I've already had the best morning _ever_." Quistis smiled, arms wrapped around his waist.

"Thanks. That's just the beginning. We've got the whole weekend too, once you get back from work." He gave her a wicked grin.

"What are you going to be doing while I'm at work?" Quistis asked him curiously.

"Running. You'd better get going sweetie, you don't want to be late, do you?" Nida asked her.

She shook her head, and said, "No, I don't. I'll see you later then."

Nida smiled at her again and left. Quistis watched him go, his reluctance obvious. Also obvious was the peculiarly soft, intense expression in his eyes when he looked at her. She'd never seen anyone look at her that way before, and it made her feel…. soft, squishy, like something was melting inside of her.

Grabbing her clothes, she went to take a shower to get ready for work, hoping the morning went swiftly so that she could escape with Nida once again.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nida changed into his running gear upon arriving back at his apartment and headed toward the beach, wondering if Squall had started training for the marathon yet. He'd already mapped out the course he wanted to run along the beach, and didn't intend to do a really long run since the only distance event in the decathlon was the 1500m run. So he only intended ten kilometers or so.

He worked on loosening up his shoulders as he jogged toward the start of the course, warming up for the run. He stretched his legs out, breathing deeply, then started off at an easy lope.

It was rather later than Nida usually ran, so the sun was well up and much warmer as a result, but he found that he liked it nonetheless. It felt good, stretching his legs as he warmed to his work, running along the beach with the surf sighing in the background. As he settled into his stride, he glanced down at his watch and swore inwardly as he realized he'd forgotten to start the timer.

Ah, well, it was just his first day. He could get serious about timing his runs and work on the rest of his events later on. Meanwhile he'd just enjoy the lovely morning, remembering the beautiful woman he'd just made love to and thinking of his plans to do pretty much more of the same that weekend at Obel Lake. He couldn't get enough of her.

Laughing to himself, he increased his pace, reveling in the free swing of his strides, the flex of his muscles and the challenge of pushing himself to greater speed. Even unjunctioned, he felt good. He knew he wasn't running nearly as fast as he'd need to, but it was early yet, and he wasn't really trying. He was just having fun.

He ran the entire course, arriving back at his apartment feeling both tired and exhilarated, immediately hopping into the shower. He finished it quickly, dried off and dressed, thoughts already focused on his plans for the day.

He called and arranged to rent a SUV while drinking his coffee and eating breakfast, wondering how Quistis' classes were going. While she was busy at work, Nida got his camping gear packed and finalized their plans, hoping that she could join him sooner rather than later.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Instructor? Instructor Trepe?" Quistis blinked, focusing her attention upon the cadet that had approached her desk, cheeks warming at being caught daydreaming. Remembering that morning's activities and far too eager for a repeat.

"Ah, yes…cadet Stevens?" Quistis asked.

"I'm um.. Done with the quiz... Can I go now?" The cadet asked her. Quistis nodded and the cadet put her quiz on Quistis' desk and left. The rest of the cadets did the same one by one until they were all gone and Quistis was left gathering their work for grading.

She accomplished that task while eating a quick lunch at her apartment and emailed the grades. Then she left to head up to Squall's office to see if he needed any assistance.

He shouldn't, she reflected. The only thing that was going on was the interviews they'd set up for the afternoon, and Squall really shouldn't need her there for that. Still, she did need to check in with him, if for no other reason than to let him know that she was leaving for the weekend. Again.

Upon reaching the office floor, Quistis greeted Xu and asked her how things were going.

"With Squall's assistant search or just in general?" Xu asked her in turn, brown eyes lit with amusement.

"Both, I suppose. Has he done any interviews yet?" Quistis responded.

"He's doing one now." Xu answered her.

"Oh. Well it's just as well I asked you about it first. I'll just wait until he's finished." Quistis said.

"So what are your plans for the weekend? Are you going to take off again?" Xu asked her.

Quistis had just opened her mouth to answer that question when the door to Squall's office opened and he emerged with one of the applicants.

"I'd better go Quistis. Why don't you call me later, okay?" Xu said with a grin before leaving.

"All right," Quistis nodded. Xu smiled over at Squall as she passed him on her way to the bridge, and he nodded in acknowledgment. Then he turned his attention to the girl he'd just interviewed.

"Thank you for your time, Miss Aisling. I'll call you with my final decision on Monday." Squall said, addressing the young woman.

"Thank you, Commander. I hope I hear from you then." The girl said, shaking Squall's hand before making her way out of the office.

Quistis raised her eyebrows and smiled at him, "Wow. Civility? And dare I say it, even a smidge of politeness?"

"I can be polite if the situation calls for it." Squall said.

"Then your wife has taught you well." Quistis grinned.

Squall rolled his eyes, asking, "Why does everyone assume Rinoa's responsible for civilizing me? What if I just figured out it's easier to work with people when I'm civil?"

"Well, isn't she?" Quistis asked him pointedly.

Squall folded his arms and sighed, admitting, "Well, yeah, actually."

Quistis laughed and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "We all appreciate her efforts, believe me." Then she sobered, asking him, "Was that the first of your interviews?"

Squall nodded, answering, "Yes. I've got the other three coming today as well. I'll be doing the interviews hourly, and we'll just have to see after that."

"So what did you think of Miss Aisling?" Quistis asked him.

"Well, no annoying personal questions, which scored her major points with me. She appeared more focused on the actual job rather than me, which is another point in her favor." Squall answered.

"Do you think you have a winner here?" Quistis asked.

Squall shrugged, "I still have three more interviews Quistis. I can't make a decision until I've completed them. But I will say this: she has a very impressive resume and she seemed very put together and focused. A bit like you, actually."

"Really?" Quistis asked, folding her arms across her chest. "Am I your yardstick then?"

"Yes, you are." Squall answered her seriously.

"I'm flattered." Quistis smiled at him.

"You should be. Anyway, I have another interview in a few minutes. Was there anything that you needed?" Squall asked her.

Quistis laughed, "I was about to ask you the same question. Are you going to need my help at all this afternoon?"

Squall frowned, thinking for a moment, before answering her, "No. I don't have anything aside from the interviews going on today. I'm caught up on all my pending work, largely thanks to your help this week. Why?"

"I thought I 'd take off for the weekend, and wanted to get an early start on it." Quistis answered him.

"Take off? As in out of town? Again?" Squall asked her, surprised. Quistis grimaced, chagrined that her recent habits had made this a surprise to her friends.

"Yes." Quistis answered, declining to provide any details, knowing that Squall wouldn't press her for them unless he felt it necessary.

Squall studied her for a moment in silence, then said simply, "Have fun then. And be careful."

Quistis nodded, knowing without either of them having to mention it what he was referring to.

"I will. Have a good weekend Squall. Give Rinoa a hug for me." Quistis said.

Squall chuckled slightly and said, "Not that I need _reminding_ of that, but okay. See you Monday."

Quistis gave him a sketchy wave and left, feeling more and more excited the closer she got to her apartment. Taking out her cell phone, she dialed Nida's number.

It rang once, twice, three times, then, "Hello?"

"You found your phone!" Quistis laughed.

"Yeah," Nida chuckled. "My couch ate it."

"You need to watch out for those carnivorous couches. I have to beat mine into submission on a weekly basis or it starts eating everything in sight." Quistis told him.

"That's no joke. There's more than one occasion that I've sunk into the thing and thought I'd never get out again." Nida said, laughing.

"Well, I'm done for the day, so all I have to do is pack and we can take off." Quistis said, approaching her door.

"Great. Do you need any help? I've already gotten my gear packed up and loaded. I was just waiting on you, hon," Nida told her.

"I could use some help carrying it out, once I get everything packed." Quistis said as she unlocked the door and entered her apartment.

"I'll be right over." Nida said, disconnecting the call.

He knocked on her door a few minutes later and helped her with the packing, offering suggestions on what gear to bring and what he'd already packed to avoid duplication and to save space. In no time, Quistis was packed and was ready to leave. With one exception… she still wore her uniform.

"Nida? Would you mind taking some of this out to your car? I need to change out of my uniform. I've been dying to get out of it all morning." Quistis asked him.

He gave her a wicked grin and moved in for a quick kiss, saying, "I've been dying to get you out of your uniform all morning too..." Quistis laughed and pushed at his chest.

"Oh, just go! We'll never get out of here if I let you stay and watch me change." She said.

Nida snorted and picked up one of her bags, saying, "You're right. I'll be back in a minute for the rest." He leaned in for another quick kiss and smiled at her, then he left.

Quistis quickly stripped her uniform off and tossed it into the basket for laundering, then changed into a pair of shorts and a basic white tee shirt. She put her whip and the belt it hung from back on, and was tying the laces to her hiking boots when Nida returned.

"Ready to go?" Nida asked her.

"Yes." She answered, grabbing one of her remaining bags and reaching for the other when Nida snatched it out of her reach with a chuckle.

Then he slid his other arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek as they strolled down the hall and out to the parking garage.

As they walked, Quistis asked him, "Do you think we'll catch any fish?"

"Dunno. Doesn't hurt to try. But I brought stuff for us to eat just in case." He answered.

"How are we going to fit all of this in Sally?" She asked.

"Easy. We're not. I rented an SUV. Sally's a lady, and as such, does not care for the outdoors. City driving only for her." Nida answered. Quistis nodded, thinking about unpaved dirt roads and the how the low-slung sports car would handle them. Yeah, Sally was better suited to a well-maintained highway, rather than a rough back road.

Nida steered her through the garage to the SUV and they put the rest of Quistis' gear into the back. Knowing the road out to Obel Lake as she did, she was suitably impressed with the car's rugged appearance. It looked more than sturdy enough for the trip out.

Nida put the key into the ignition, but before starting the car, he tugged gently at Quistis' hand and leaned over, touching his lips to hers and making her melt with his kiss. Her eyes drifted shut as he softly, gently nibbled, sucked and teased her lips, caressing her cheek and moving his hand to the back of her neck, burying his fingers in her hair.

Pulling back, he smiled at her, and Quistis smiled back, loving the way joy glittered in his hazel eyes. She couldn't help but feel her spirit lift in response.

Finally turning the ignition and starting the car, Nida said, "Let's head out to the lake. We've got plenty of time to get there tonight and get camp set up. We can always go out to Deling City some other time."

"Okay," Quistis agreed readily, feeling a slight sense of relief that she needn't worry about another random encounter with Sean. Then she focused her thoughts on two whole days with Nida on the shores of a lovely, crystalline lake, away from pretty much everyone.

She sighed happily and reached her hand out to take his, giving it a squeeze. He held it for a moment before letting go and stroking her hair, then returning it to the steering wheel as they approached the ferry in Balamb and waited their turn to board.

This weekend was going to be perfect.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunset was turning the water of Obel Lake into an expanse of molten gold by the time Quistis and Nida finished unpacking the car and setting up their camp. Quistis took a deep breath of air scented by evergreen trees, night blooming flowers and the freshness of the water itself and sighed.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her from behind and Nida held her close, saying softly, "It's beautiful here. I've always liked coming out here." The blazing gold of the sunset had started to fade to rose and vermilion, and crickets, frogs and other creatures of the night began their serenade.

"Yeah," Quistis said, leaning back against him. "Me too. I don't get out here as much as I used to." _And it's nowhere near as fun coming here alone…_ A pair of ducks winged in and landed on the water, joining a flotilla of loons that were paddling and warbling in deepening dusk. They watched the scene in rapt silence, simply taking it in.

Then a pair of black swans soared across the water, wingtip to wingtip, slowly, majestically making their graceful descent. They backwinged in perfect synchronicity, their momentum carrying them across the water as their webbed feet served to slow them down. They finally settled into water side by side, touching their bills together and twining their necks before joining the other water birds in the hunt for food.

"They mate for life, you know." Nida commented.

"The swans? I know. They're beautiful." Quistis replied, sighing. Nida's arms tightened around her and he kissed her cheek. Quistis smiled and rubbed her cheek against his.

"Think we'll catch any fish in the morning?" Quistis asked him.

"Dunno. Just trying is half the fun." Nida answered her.

"The water looks nice and clear. Swimming would be fun, if it weren't for the monster." Quistis said.

Nida snorted, "It won't bother us, it usually hangs out on the other side of the lake."

"You sure about that? What kind of bribe did you give it to persuade it to leave us alone?" Quistis asked, turning around and slipping her hands around his waist.

"I promised it half of whatever we caught over the next few days," Nida answered her, eyes twinkling in amusement.

"You realize that the poor lake monster may end up the loser in this deal, right?" Quistis said, warming to the joke.

"That's the risk it decided to take. Besides, we could always chase a tasty t-rexaur into the water for it to snack on if we need to." Nida grinned down at her.

"Maybe it just needs a playmate to keep it busy. I could call Leviathan, she's been rather lonely lately." Quistis said with a shrug.

Nida burst out laughing, and then sobered when Quistis simply smiled at him but didn't join him in his laughter, asking, "You're serious aren't you? Leviathan's a _female_?"

Quistis nodded, answering, "She doesn't _speak_ to me, not like some of the other Guardians, but that's the impression that I got."

Nida chuckled again, saying, "Well, now that's something I'd like to see. After we're done fishing tomorrow morning, see if she'd like to join us in a swim."

Quistis' eyes lost focus for a moment before she returned her attention to Nida, saying, "She's excited. Poor thing, I haven't let her play in far too long."

"They really are like pets, aren't they?" He mused.

"To a certain extent, I guess." Quistis said, then reached up and tugged at the brim of his boonie hat, adding, "I love this hat. It looks so cute on you." She pulled it slantwise over his forehead and he grinned at her.

His entire outfit echoed the hat, with a heather gray t-shirt and a pair of tan cargo shorts. He was definitely dressed for the outdoors, and Quistis thought he looked good enough to eat. In particular, she admired how the shorts showed off his sexy legs, and loved how cute his knees looked. She laughed to herself at that thought. She'd seen his knees before, but not peeking out from under a pair of shorts, and for some reason, that made a difference.

Waggling his eyebrows suggestively, Nida invited, "Wanna help me polish my helmet?"

Quistis burst out laughing, "You're so bad!"

Sighing theatrically, Nida placed his hand over his heart and said, "Ah, me. Rejected. Well then, how about dinner instead?"

"I could do dinner." Quistis smiled, hugging him tightly before wrapping her arm around his waist and walking with him toward their campsite.

"And me?" He asked, playfully bumping his hip against hers.

"We'll revisit the helmet-polishing question after dinner." Quistis said with a laugh. Nida's laugh echoed hers and he kissed the side of her head.

 _Hyne I love you…_ it was on the tip of his tongue, but he kept it behind his lips. Instead, when they reached the campfire, he stopped and pulled her into a soft, sweet kiss that showed plainly everything that he didn't dare say to her yet. He let the words he hid behind his lips come out in his kiss instead.

He pulled back and gazed down into her upturned face and the dreamy, languorous expression in her eyes, caressing her cheek. His heart ached to see that the shadows she'd been fighting all along still persisted, hiding behind her eyes. The fear was still there. Less obvious than before perhaps, but now that Nida knew what to look for he could still see it.

 _Who did this to you? How can I prove to you that I'm not like whomever left you like this?_ Nida wondered. He wished he knew who it was so he could pound the bastard into the dust. It likely wouldn't help anything in the long run, he knew. But it would make _him_ feel better, and it might even help exorcise the demons that Quistis was fighting.

He wished she would tell him, but she wasn't ready for that yet, and he didn't want to press her. So he would wait a little while longer. He could be patient; he'd already waited years for her. He resolved to enjoy each moment with her, and not to worry about what couldn't yet be helped.

They worked together on cooking dinner over an open flame, with Nida admiring the way the firelight gilded Quistis' already golden hair. She'd left it down for once, having removed the clip that kept it in its usual neat style before they'd left Balamb. Later, after darkness had finally descended and the evening cooled, they cuddled together, gazing into the firelight, drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows.

"How did you know?" Quistis asked, snuggled against him while sipping at the cocoa.

"Know what?" Nida asked.

"That cocoa with marshmallows is my favorite?" she asked him again.

He laughed softly, "I didn't. It just happens to be my favorite as well. Besides, a camping trip practically requires marshmallows to be involved in some form or another."

"That's very true. Feel like toasting some?" Quistis asked.

"Certainly. I even brought actual skewers, so no need to find a stick." Nida said, getting up and retrieving the items.

"Thank you." Quistis said when he handed her one of the long handled skewers with a large marshmallow on the end. Once it was nicely toasted, she playfully removed it and held it to his lips, offering to feed it to him.

Raising his eyebrows at the offer, he accepted it, the grasped her wrist before she could withdraw her hand and drew her fingers into his mouth to suck off the sticky remains. Quistis caught her breath at the blatantly sensual act and swallowed, heart racing. Then he reciprocated her offer, holding a nicely toasted, warm marshmallow to her lips.

She ate it of course, duplicating his action in licking the sticky treat delicately from his fingertips, smiling as his reaction echoed hers. He brushed his thumb gently against her lower lip, and Quistis shifted slightly, sucking it into her mouth. She watched his eyes darken and welcomed what came next.

In a smooth, assured movement, he pulled her against him and his lips covered hers, mingling the sweetness from the toasted marshmallows and hot chocolate with sheer, dark passion. The richness of it was nearly overwhelming, though neither wanted to fight it at that point. Instead, they both gave and took as hearts started to pound and heat rose.

Between kisses, Nida whispered, "I think we need to go to bed now."

Knowing he meant something other than sleep, Quistis whispered back, "I think you're right."

Nida stood then and took both of Quistis' hands, pulling her to her feet. Putting his arm around her shoulders, he started to steer her in the direction of the tent, but she hesitated, frowning slightly at the fire.

"We really shouldn't leave that burning .…" she murmured, then before Nida could respond, cast a low-level blizzaga spell, effectively putting the fire out.

"That's one way to do it," Nida commented, kissing her cheek then nipping gently at her earlobe. Quistis shivered and allowed him to continue to guide her toward their tent.

Once inside, they continued where they left off, their lips finding each other in the darkness while their hands explored their bodies and removed impeding clothing. In the intimacy of their shared tent they relied upon their other senses, focusing upon touch, upon taste, upon scent, upon sound: The sound of breathless gasps, urgent whispers, and pounding hearts. The sweet taste of chocolate and marshmallows. The scent of wood smoke and skin. The feel of her smooth, silken skin, his hard muscles. The warmth they shared when his hardness met her yielding softness and slid home, her arms wrapping around him and holding him to her as he did.

Then he took up the age-old rhythm that they'd both danced to before, finding new interest in the lack of light. Where he'd have watched her eyes film over with desire for him as he entered her, it was now the hitch in her breath that he heard. Where once he would have reveled in the rosy flush of her cheeks, knowing he'd put that there, it was now her moans and gasps that he heard and enjoyed. It was no less powerful, and a great deal more satisfying, making love with her in the darkness.

It wasn't as though he didn't love watching her come apart in his arms, or seeing her beautiful, perfect imperfections…. Not at all. He loved to see all of that. But giving himself over to passion in the lack of light, letting it take control and hearing his own breathless gasps echo Quistis' was… fantastic. Erotic.

He let it take him, and her, to a dreamlike place that neither had been before. He grinned in the darkness as her gasps turned to a long, shivering moan and her arms and legs quivered and clutched at him spasmodically as she reached her climax. He sealed his lips over hers and followed her after two hard thrusts, gasping raggedly as the intense pleasure overwhelmed him.

In the aftermath, they simply lay together as their labored breaths calmed and their pounding heartbeats slowed. Nida rested his forehead against Quistis' for a moment, and then kissed her softly. What he felt in that moment bound up his tongue, as reluctant as he was to let it escape as yet. So he kissed her instead, letting her feel it. Sighing softly, he felt his eyelids growing heavy, and shifted off of Quistis to rearrange their bedding.

Quistis reached out as he moved, trailing her hand down his back as he momentarily turned away from her. She too was moved to silence in the intimate darkness, and in that silence found a truth she'd been too afraid to face for far too long. Her eyes stung as she thought about how sweet and patient with her fears Nida had been, how gentle and yet strong he was. Most of all, she thought about how, each time they were together, he made her feel…loved.

He reached out for her in the darkness, meeting her hand that was reaching for him, and pulled her into the warm nest that he'd prepared. She snuggled against him, closing her eyes as his arm came around her protectively. Always to guard and protect, never to bind or harm, she thought. His every action and touch had showed her that.

And by gradual degrees, she had come to realize what it was that had been developing between them from the start. What Nida's warm eyes and gentle touch had been telling her. What her fears had kept her from seeing and acknowledging. Until now.

Quistis buried her face in his chest, breathing in his scent and soaking up his warmth as she fought back tears that threatened to fall. She swallowed, placing a lingering kiss directly onto center of his chest.

He kissed the top of her head softly and whispered, "Good night, Quistis."

She tightened her arm around him briefly and whispered back, "Good night."

They gradually fell asleep, nestled in the cocoon of warmth created by their bodies and the bedding they'd snuggled into, three words hanging unspoken between them. Neither yet ready to release them, but it was there now, for both of them, waiting only for the right moment.

 _I love you._


	9. Zen and the Art of Flyfishing

Nida stood at the lakeshore with his fishing rod in hand, preparing to make a cast. He smiled over at Quistis and then carefully, gracefully, flung the rod forward. The line, with the fly lure attached, arced over the water before landing several meters away with a quiet splash.

As Nida reeled the lure back in for another try, Quistis commented, "You know, when you said fishing, I didn't know you meant _fly_ -fishing."

Nida flicked the rod back and forth a few times then made another cast, admiring the way the lure sailed over the water as though it was a living fly. Quistis smiled at the sight. Until she'd come fishing with Nida, she'd never known that something so prosaic could actually be so beautiful.

And it was. The morning sun gilded everything, striking sparks of light from the dew left behind on the grass, the cattails and the tree leaves. Dragonflies and other flying insects flitted over the sun washed lake, tempting the lake trout that Nida was fishing for to leap up and snap after them. Birds sang, loons warbled and ducks quacked, while frogs and toads boomed a deep counterpoint.

It had nothing at all to do with the fact that she had fallen head over heels in love with the man busily turning a fly-fishing cast into a graceful work of art. Certainly he added to the beauty of the morning, and Quistis raised her camera and snapped another picture of him as he made a cast, capturing that moment in time forever. Then she sighed at the scene; at how the pure quality of the light silhouetted him against the reeds and cattails, at the way his camouflage patterned boonie hat tilted down over his brow just so, and at how well his lean body wore his black board shorts and t-shirt.

Reeling in his line yet again, Nida replied, "Well, I love lake trout. And this is challenging and fun."

"It looks like it. The way you fling that lure out, it almost looks like a dance. I'm having fun just watching you." Quistis smiled at him.

Nida smiled back, "You want to give it a try? I brought an extra pole."

"Sure." Quistis said, laying her camera aside. Nida reeled in his line and set his pole down for a moment while he got the other pole.

When he returned, he instructed Quistis on the way to make a cast, and she was amazed at the fact that when it came right down to it, it actually was a dance. Certainly the way the pole was wielded was not far off from wielding a sword, which was one reason why Nida seemed to have such an affinity for the practice. Every movement, every flick of the wrist, played a part in the cast, and the better the cast, the more lifelike the lure appeared.

And just like the sword, it was easy to learn, but difficult to master.

They spent the morning like that, dancing in tandem with their long poles, sending brightly colored fly lures winging out over the water in the hopes that a hungry trout would be tempted beyond reason to leap up after it. They spoke little, instead concentrating upon fishing, but Quistis didn't mind it. The silences were companionable. Comfortable. And every so often leavened with a warm smile or a laugh as either he or she missed a cast or tangled their line.

It became a form of meditation, pulling them both into a zen-like state of calm contemplation. Until a trout leaped up and snatched Quistis' lure, causing her to exclaim in excitement.

"I got one!" she gasped, holding onto the pole as it bent from the trout's efforts to escape.

"Tug it back to set the hook, then start reeling it in." Nida instructed, grinning at her excitement and laying his pole down. He got a net and a bucket of water ready for the fish when Quistis finally brought it in.

"Oh! Oh my! This thing is really fighting!" She gasped, reeling and pulling back on the pole. Nida set down the net and the bucket, thinking to give Quistis a hand.

"I've got this, don't worry." She said, smiling at him. Then she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced in its direction for a better look.

"Nida! Your pole!" she said urgently. Nida, who'd been grinning at the sight of Quistis, hair pulled back into a pony-tail and wearing a bright blue halter style bikini top and cut off shorts, continued reeling in the tiring fish on the end of her line. She looked sexy as hell, even with her face scrubbed clean of makeup, and Nida enjoyed the privilege of looking his fill at her.

Her urgent call brought his attention to his own pole in time to see it slowly sliding toward the water. The tension in the line attached showed plainly that it was being _pulled_ , and Nida's eyes widened.

"Whoa!" he gasped, diving after it and grabbing it in the nick of time. Quistis' laughter bubbled up from beside him as he rolled triumphantly to his feet with his pole in hand and began fighting whatever it was on the end of his line. The pole bent markedly and Nida marveled at the strength of the tug.

"Holy crap Quistis! I think I just hooked the lake monster!" He exclaimed, hauling back with all his strength.

"Nope, sorry!" Quistis laughed breathlessly, " _I_ got the lake monster, I'm sure of it! You've probably just hooked a guppy!"

"Hah! I'll show you _guppy_ …" Nida said stoutly, working the reel for all he was worth.

They both fought their battles in tandem, laughing and joking with each other. The end result however, wasn't quite what either expected.

Nida held the end of his line up and surveyed the "lake monster" that he'd hooked with chagrin, laughing ruefully as he compared it with Quistis' catch. As hard as the fish had fought, he'd been sure it was a monster. Instead, the silvery creature flopping on the end of his line was barely the size of his hand.

"I think yours is bigger than mine." He observed.

Quistis burst out laughing at his remark, saying, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Nida echoed her laughter, shaking his head as he worked he hook out of the still gasping fish, and saying, "See? That's why I love you. Such compassion for the fragile male ego." Tossing the little fish back into the lake, he added, "Off you go mate. Go get bigger for the next battle."

He looked up to see Quistis staring at him, the beautiful lake trout that she'd hooked hanging forgotten from her hand.

 _Crap_. Suddenly, he realized what he'd inadvertently let slip. He hadn't wanted to tell her so randomly what he'd felt…it had just felt so natural that it had come out on its own.

"What did you say?" She whispered.

Nida swallowed, and answered softly, "I love you."

And there it was. Nida watched as Quistis' eyes filled with tears, the fish she'd caught falling from her nerveless fingers. Then she launched herself at him, taking his face in her hands and kissing him senseless.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and kissed her back, completely overwhelmed by her response. Stars didn't fall. Violins didn't sound and fireworks didn't explode, but that didn't matter. They had the loons, the frogs and the trumpeting of the black swans as a haunting soundtrack. More than adequate music for his heart to sing with.

So he lost himself in their kiss, in the feel of her warm body as he held her close, the soft, silky texture of her lips, the flavor and essence of her. Kissing away the tears that tracked down her cheeks, telling her wordlessly that every word that had spilled from his lips was straight from his heart.

Quistis too was overwhelmed by what she was feeling as she kissed him. She felt as though she was both soaring and falling at the same time. Both scared and exhilarated, her heart pounded heavily as she broke off the kiss and simply buried her face in the crook of his neck and held him while the tears continued to leak from her eyes.

 _I love you_. Three small, softly spoken words, given proof by the soft intensity of Nida's expression, the gentleness of his touch as he held her; three words that had buried themselves deep into the center of her being.

A small eternity passed as they held each other. The tears dried on Quistis' cheeks, those that Nida hadn't kissed away. He stroked her hair lightly, and Quistis stroked Nida's cheek and caressed the back of his neck, threading her fingers through his hair.

He had remained silent, not pushing for a response from her beyond kissing her enthusiastically. It made her love him even more that he allowed her time to process what he'd said, not pressing her for anything.

"I love you too," she whispered, smiling in quiet joy. He tightened his arms around her, leaning his cheek against hers.

He wanted to stay there like that with her forever. Quistis too, seemed unwilling to move from their embrace. But…eventually they had to.

Nida shifted first, loosening his hold upon her and taking her face in his hands, brushing away the remaining traces of tears from Quistis' cheeks. Then he simply gazed at her, his smile lighting not only his face but his eyes as well. And Quistis was lost, staring into the kaleidoscope of blues, greens, golds and browns that swirled together to produce the coloration that so many called "hazel" and was in reality a mixture of all colors.

His smile grew broader and a soft laugh bubbled up from deep inside of him and he said, "I think you dropped your fish back into the lake."

Quistis' laugh echoed his and she said, "I guess I'll have to catch us another one."  
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It turned out, she didn't need to. The hook and line had still been attached, so it was relatively easy to retrieve the poor creature and put it in the bucket where it swam about listlessly, awaiting its ultimate fate. Quistis and Nida meanwhile, resumed their fishing, catching only one more fish each before the heat of the day got the better of them and they put away the fishing gear in favor of swimming.

As promised, Quistis called Leviathan, turning it loose into the lake where it dove and surfaced with a happy bugle, pausing only to touch its nose briefly against Quistis' cheek before arching away with sinuous grace, searching for its promised playmate.

Nida was laughing again as it did, shaking his head in amazement. "That's just too cute for words. And I never thought I'd refer to a water elemental in the form of a sea-monster as "cute"."

"No," Quistis said with a smile as they watched the Guardian slithering through the water toward the opposite side of the lake. The sun glittered off the silvery blue scales that peeked periodically above the surface of the water with an opalescent gleam. "She's not cute. She's beautiful."

"Wonder what the Obel Lake monster looks like? What if it's not even remotely like her?" Nida asked.

"I don't think it matters. I think she just wanted to get out and play a bit." Quistis said with a shrug. Then she gave into temptation and waded into the water, shivering slightly at the temperature of the lake.

"Do you do this a lot? Turn her loose like this?" Nida asked, curiously. His GF Aeryon had never seemed to have a problem with remaining housed within his mind or staying dormant until junctioned. It had never occurred to Nida to wonder if the creature might not at times want to fly free…

"Occasionally. There's a funny story related to that." Quistis said, wading deeper into the water as she grew accustomed to the temperature.

Nida followed her, asking, "Yeah? Tell me."

"You know Squall's taken up surfing, right?" Quistis asked him.

"Yeah, I remember hearing about it. I guess he got pretty good at it." Nida said.

"Not as good as Zell and Irvine, but not too bad for someone who isn't obsessed with it." She said.

"So, how does turning Leviathan loose relate to Squall and surfing…." Nida's voice trailed off as his mind caught up with what he'd just said and he stared at Quistis, eyes wide.

"No way." He stated, staring at her.

She burst into laughter, replying, "Yes way. Zell was junctioned to her at the time and he had the brilliant idea to call her out and turn her loose since the waves weren't big enough to surf that day. He thought it'd be cool as hell to surf a tsunami."

Nida's jaw dropped, "They actually had her do her tsunami attack? What happened?"

"Well, they all three nearly drowned but Zell at least thought it was awesome and began doing it on a semi regular basis when the waves just weren't challenging enough for them. Turned out, Leviathan enjoyed it too, and tempered her attack to just enough strength to make some nice waves without drowning everyone." Quistis answered.

"No wonder Zell liked to junction her so much. I'd always wondered about that. I thought he was more suited to a fire elemental like Ifrit." Nida commented.

"If you go by personality, definitely." Quistis said.

A loud splash and deep rumble caught their attention and they looked toward the opposite side of the lake to see the gleaming, silvery blue Leviathan facing a similarly serpentine creature in iridescent green and black. They both had reared well out of the water and faced each other, both rumbling threateningly, necks weaving back and forth in a snakelike dance. Quistis exchanged a worried look with Nida, wondering if she hadn't upset the resident lake monster by invading its territory.

She was on the verge of recalling Leviathan when Nida said, "Look!"

The lake monster surged forward, but instead of biting at Leviathan, it twined its neck around hers, hissing softly. Their bodies tangled together, they fell back into the water with a mighty splash. There was a curious lack of aggression in their actions, and it took an observation from Nida to provide insight as to why.

"Looks like the mating dance of the Balamb seasnake." Nida commented.

Quistis stared at him, eyes wide, and gasped, "they're _mating?_ " Then she started laughing as the impressions she received from the Guardian bore that out.

Nida joined her, saying, "I think as of now, you're her favorite host."

Quistis, still laughing, asked him, "why?"

"You got her laid! How often does _that_ happen for a GF?" Nida asked.

Quistis laughed harder and managed, "I'd never thought about it, honestly!"

Nida playfully flicked a bit of water at Quistis, saying, "considering where your mind has been lately, that _is_ a surprise."

Quistis raised one eyebrow, cringing only slightly as the cold water that Nida had flicked at her landed upon her sun-warmed skin. The initial shock passed quickly and Quistis responded in kind, prompting Nida to flinch as the cold water hit him, laughing.

"Oh?" She challenged, "and just where do you think my mind has been?"

"Same place mine's been." Nida snorted, moving to take her into his arms again. He bent down and kissed her, and she pulled close until she was flush against him. The warmth of their bodies against each other made them forget the chill of the water they were standing in. They were oblivious to all but the sensations evoked by their kiss.

Then something large exploded from the water close to them, and drenched them both in a torrent of icy lake water.

Quistis screamed, and Nida exclaimed, "Holy crap that's _cold!_ " Quistis clung to him, laughing uncontrollably, and he got a brief flash of gleaming blue and silver scales before Leviathan dove back into the water, splashing more water upon them.

"She wants to play with us." Quistis said, still laughing.

" _Play_ with us? How?" Nida asked.

"Watch." Quistis said, then let go of him and backed away, into deeper water. Nida's eyes widened as he saw the telltale ripples on the surface of the water that signaled the elemental's approach. Then suddenly the creature's head rose above the surface of the lake, taking Quistis with it. She clung to the spikes around its head, sitting astride its neck as it glided quickly through the water.

"Nida! Come on!" she called, holding her hand out to him as they slithered by. He reached out and she caught him, pulling him along with them both. He scrambled aboard the snakelike neck, taking care with the spikes, and settled himself behind Quistis, wrapping his arms around her waist.

He held on while Leviathan undulated through the water with surprising speed. Nida was momentarily distracted by the exhilaration of riding the creature, so didn't notice the shadow pacing them at first. A flash of iridescent green caught his eye however as the lake monster's back broke the surface of the water. Then its head reared above the water and it slithered beside them.

Nida directed Quistis' attention to the green and black monster, and she gasped.

"Wow! Isn't he gorgeous?" she said.

Nida narrowed his eyes, and finally nodded in agreement. The creature turned its golden eyes upon them for a moment, and Nida stared, caught by the intelligence he saw there. This was not a mere monster. It was. …Something else. The spell was broken as the monster turned away and dove back under the water, its blackish-green coloration rendering it all but invisible in the deep waters of the lake.

It turned into a race, with Nida and Quistis both laughing in exhilaration at the speed Leviathan reached while keeping pace with the resident monster. Once that was concluded, with no clear winner that either Quistis or Nida could deduce, they took to swimming instead. Leviathan seemed content to simply float upon the surface of the water and allow them to swim around and under it, using it for a diving platform or a float.

"I wonder if she'd let us fish while we're up here?" Nida mused.

Quistis laughed, "Yes, but don't you think she'd scare the fish away? She doesn't look like a boat."

"Nah. If anything, she'll just look like a log floating in the water." Nida grinned.

An irritated rumble sounded from the elemental and it dove, arching down into the water and causing a coil to hump up suddenly and travel down its length. The sudden movement dislodged its passengers, sending them back into the water. Quistis yelped in surprise, while Nida simply held his breath as he hit the water and went under.

He surfaced seconds later, sputtering and wiping water from his face, saying, "I think I've insulted her."

Quistis, who as also sputtering, replied, "Yeah, I'm getting a distinct sense of irritation from her. It's all right darling," She called out, "we didn't mean to imply that _you_ were a log, just that you're very good at disguising yourself as one. It makes fishing so much easier when they don't know a large predator is nearby."

Nida laughed when Leviathan's tail flipped up, flinging more water at them.

"I guess this means no more free rides, huh?" He grinned, wiping water off his face again.

"That's okay, I'm a good swimmer." Quistis said, making her way to his side.

"Well, that's good." Nida said, squinting into the distance. "Because I think your guardian just dumped us off in the middle of the lake."

"Oh, dear. Can you swim that far?" Quistis asked sweetly.

Nida made a great show of pondering that question, finally answering, "Well, I'm training for the decathlon, not a triathlon, so…. that may be a bit of a challenge for me. But I think I can make it."

"Race you to the shore then!" Quistis challenged, striking out immediately with surprising speed.

"Hey!" Nida exclaimed, then followed suit, swimming strongly after her. In truth, they were both good swimmers. It was part of the physical requirements that went along with being a SeeD. _Everyone_ had to know how to swim, and swim well. While Nida couldn't compete with the members of Balamb Garden's swim team, he was still strong and confident in the water. As was Quistis. Of course, being junctioned to Leviathan gave her the edge in strength and endurance.

Nida still managed to at least remain even with her for the first half of their impromptu race. Then he realized that the distance was farther than he'd thought, and that swimming unjunctioned was a bad way to come to a realization of one's own physical limitations.

Since drowning wasn't included in his plans for the weekend, he dropped back to a slower pace and did his best to breathe in synch with his strokes. Swimming in a freshwater lake had different challenges than swimming in a pool or in the ocean. In the ocean one had to contend with the tides, and with the denizens of that environment. In the pool there was no challenge beyond simply swimming.

In the lake, there weren't tides, but there _were_ water weeds, almost more insidious than seaweed in the way that they tangled in one's arms and legs the closer one drew to shore, interfering with the motion of swimming. Dragging the swimmer down and hampering their progress. There were creatures like snapper turtles, sturgeon, and of course the lake monster, which could be nearly as problematical as sharks, jellyfish and adamantoise.

Of course, no one yet had any solid proof that the lake monster had ever attacked anyone.

By the time Nida made it to shore, he was sobbing for breath and his arms and legs were rubbery from fatigue. Quistis of course had beaten him handily, and had actually gotten worried when she didn't see him right on her heels. Watching him grimly labor on after her made her feel guilty for forgetting that he'd dropped all of his junctions just the previous day.

Crawling ashore, he collapsed on the soft grass, panting heavily. Quistis made her way over to him and sat down, stroking her hand down his back gently.

"Sorry. I forgot you'd dropped all of your junctions." She said. Nida rolled onto his back and closed his eyes, concentrating on breathing. It didn't take long for him to catch his breath however.

"God," He said breathlessly. "How far was that? A kilometer?"

"I doubt it. Maybe half that." Quistis said.

Nida rolled his head over and looked at her, replying, " _Felt_ like it was a kilometer. You're lucky I didn't drown."

"You wouldn't have drowned. I'd have resuscitated you. Besides, a kilometer's nothing. If you're White SeeD, they make you swim _ten_ kilometers or you aren't even accepted. It's their equivalent of a field exam I guess. They drop you overboard and sail off. If you make it back to the ship, you're a White SeeD." Quistis said.

Nida snorted, "proof of my privately held opinion that those guys are _completely_ insane."

"They aren't any crazier than the rest of us SeeDs, just a little more narrowly focused." She said.

" _Narrow_ is right." Nida said with a grimace. The White SeeDs he'd met had been so narrow-minded it was a wonder that _anything_ other than their mission occupied their thoughts.

"I know what you're getting at, but they aren't all like that. Some of them are very nice." Quistis said.

"If you say so. How do you know so much about them anyway? The only time they were aboard Garden was when that girl, Ellone was there. They didn't mix much with us while there." Nida said, belatedly remembering that Ellone was Squall's sister and aside from Laguna Loire, the only family he had.

It had taken awhile for him to wrap his head around those revelations. Indeed, everyone in Garden had buzzed about it for weeks when Squall had revealed that information. It made Nida even more determined to find information about his _own_ family. Squall had managed it, mainly through luck and a twist of fate. Perhaps fate would finally work in Nida's favor as well.

"I…uh… got to know one of them awhile back." Quistis answered hesitantly. It had been a couple of years ago, just after Squall and Rinoa had announced their engagement in fact. She'd been on her way from Galbadia to Esthar on business and had a layover in FH. The White SeeDs had been docked there as well. The young man she'd met and spent the night with had been both beautiful and sweet, but they both had known that nothing much could come of their brief liaison. The White SeeDs lived on the sea, and Quistis, despite the fact that Garden itself could sail upon the oceans if needed, was still largely landbound.

But that connection, brief though it had been, had left them both with fond memories and it had helped Quistis to finally put her schoolgirl crush on Squall to rest once and for all. She had learned that there were other men out there, some of them easily as gorgeous as Squall, if not more so, and most of them _much_ more available to her than Squall had ever been.

Nida rolled over onto his side facing her; his breathing and heartbeat finally back to normal. She didn't elaborate on her answer, and he didn't press for details. He suspected that the White SeeD she'd gotten to know had been male; possibly a former lover, and he didn't really care too much what she'd done or whom she'd done it with before they'd started dating. The only exception to that being the man who'd left such profound scars upon her psyche. _Him_ , Nida wanted to kill.

A gurgling growl from Nida's midsection started them both laughing and reminded them that it was midday and neither had eaten since morning.

"We'd better get some lunch. It's no wonder you faded halfway through your swim." Quistis said.

"You're probably right." Rolling back onto his back and flinging his forearm over his eyes to block out the sun, Nida said, "Ugh. I'm afraid you'll have to do the cooking. I'm too tired to move."

"Too tired to even help me kill and clean our fish?" Quistis asked.

Nida peered at her from under his shielding forearm and said; "I thought we were going to have them for dinner."

"I doubt they'll last that long. Besides, it's mean to prolong their suffering." Quistis replied.

Nida laughed softly, "So it's a mercy killing you're after huh? Well, sorry but my muscles are mush right now. I couldn't stand up if I wanted to."

Quistis snorted, "You're exaggerating. And even if you aren't, I know I can get at least _part_ of you to stand up."

Nida dropped his forearm and grinned at the arch expression on Quistis' face. "Prove it." He challenged, and his grin grew wider as he added, "Please."

"Okay." She said, leaning over to kiss him deeply. He let his hand caress the back of her neck under her damp hair, and tasted sunshine on her lips. Her hand caressed the drying skin of his chest, then her fingers traced lightly down the trail of hair that led to his shorts. A groan was forced from him as her hand slipped inside and she began to fondle him.

She teased him with her lips and tongue, making his head swim with her searing kisses while her hand stroked and caressed him to full arousal. Then she stopped, pulling both her hand and lips away from him with a wicked grin.

Standing up, she started to walk away, ignoring his groans and curses, and said sweetly, "Want more? You'll have to come and get it."

"You…wicked, evil…. sexy…arrrgh! You'll pay for that!" Nida growled. Quistis simply laughed and walked away, leaving him aching.

He scrambled to his feet, rubbery legs and all, and managed not to wobble too much as he hurried to catch up to her and grabbed her, pulling her into a rough kiss.

"Bitch. Teasing me like that." He breathed between kisses, adding, "But I love you anyway."

"I love you too," Quistis said, giving as good as she got. He pressed her close and she could feel his hardness pressing into her belly.

"Now, let's take care of lunch, then I promise I'll take care of _you_." She said.

"How about we take care of each other?" Nida asked softly. Quistis smiled, sensing a deeper meaning beneath that soft question.

"Deal." She answered.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nida deftly gutted, scaled and filleted the fish he'd caught, while Quistis did the same with hers. She did so with a matter of fact skill that Nida had to admire. Not everyone could handle that task. He'd seen both girls and guys get grossed out or sick, or were too clumsy to handle the slippery fish. Even some female SeeDs had trouble with it, Nida had found. Not every girl, SeeD or not, was suited to outdoor living.

It didn't surprise him that Quistis was so deft at handling a filleting knife. She certainly had enough field experience now that living off the land was second nature to her. He was glad of course that it spared him the histrionics that such activities as gutting a fish and baiting a hook tended to cause in some girls.

Once that task was done, and the offal tossed to an appreciative Leviathan as a snack, Nida asked Quistis, "Do you want to cook them or shall I?"

"You do it. I'm going to see if I can't find some watercress and some other herbs to liven it up a little. There's a bit of grease left over from the bacon this morning in the pan, so you shouldn't have any trouble frying the fish. I'll be back in a little bit." She said, buckling on the belt that held her whip.

As she strode out of camp, she pointed her finger at the pile of wood in the fire pit and cast a fira spell to light it. Nida got out the cooking gear while she was gone, setting it up after the fire had died down a little bit.

By the time Quistis reappeared with an armful of fresh greens, the fish was done, as was the rice that he'd cooked along with it. Quistis rinsed the watercress and other herbs off in the lake and shook it out, depositing a handful on each of their plates.

They sat side by side by the fire, eating their fresh-caught lake trout fillets, greens and rice, the warm afternoon sun beating down on them.

"Oh, I almost forgot about the beers. I'll be right back sweetie." Nida laid his plate aside and went over to the cooler they'd brought. Well stocked with ice, and periodically refreshed by the judicial use of a weak blizzard spell, it contained their beers along with other perishable items that they'd brought along.

Nida opened both and sat down next to Quistis again, handing one of them to her.

"Thanks," She said, taking a sip.

Nida took a sip of his as well, replying, "You're welcome." He set his bottle down briefly to retrieve his plate and resume eating.

"This is good," Quistis smiled, enjoying the contrasting flavors of the fish, the greens and the rice. "Smart, sexy, and a good cook. I think I'll keep you."

"Good. Then my plan is working." Nida grinned at her with a wink.

"Plan?" Quistis asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yes. My plan to seduce you with my sexy body, dazzle you with my brilliance, and finally win your heart with my mad cooking skills." He answered.

Quistis laughed at that, interjecting, "none of which holds a candle to your humility."

Nida chuckled at that, smiling over at her. "Hey, at least I'm not trying to baffle you with bullshit. I'm the real deal baby, as Zell would say."

Quistis laughed harder at that, asking, "He _would_ say that too, wouldn't he?"

"He has, on more than one occasion. And it's surprisingly successful." Nida confirmed.

Quistis' eyes widened and she asked, "Wait, does that mean what I think it means?"

Nida nodded, "It does, and believe me, I've seen the guy at work. He could give Irvine a run for his money, if the mood hits him right."

"Zell? Really?" Quistis asked, incredulous.

"Really. He's kind of like you Quiss, in that he doesn't date SeeDs much. Apparently, the townie girls really like blonds who've helped save the world." Nida answered.

"Wow. I've never really even thought of him like that. He's always been like my little brother." Quistis said.

Then a thought struck her, and she asked Nida, "Who said I didn't date SeeDs?"

He shrugged and answered, "Xu, but even if she hadn't mentioned it, I'd already noticed. Why _is_ that?"

He'd _noticed?_ Quistis suddenly wondered how long Nida had been _noticing_ her.

"I guess I have to clarify that a bit. It's not that I don't date SeeDs; I just don't date any _Balamb_ SeeDs. Or at least, I didn't." Quistis smiled slightly over at Nida before returning her attention to the remains of her food.

"Why?" He asked curiously.

"The Trepies," Quistis admitted. "Among other things. Honestly, the gossip there can get pretty bad. The last thing I want is everyone and their brother discussing my love life like it's the latest soap opera."

Nida frowned. He understood her concerns about the gossip. He didn't care for it either. What that meant for the two of them, he had no idea. He wasn't going to let it scare him off, and while the Trepies were annoying, they weren't enough of a deterrent to stop him from seeing Quistis. In short, he didn't care what everyone else said or thought about who he was dating. The trick was to be selective on who he talked to, and never discuss things that he didn't want spread openly around Garden.

Finally he reached over and took her hand, squeezing it slightly and asked her, "Where does that leave us then?"

Quistis sighed and looked away, "I don't know. I don't want you to feel like we have to hide, or that I'm ashamed for people to know that we're together. Nothing's further from the truth. But at the same time, I don't want it all over Garden either. I mean, we only just started dating and…"

"I understand. Or at least, I think I do. Well, if it makes you feel better, I'm pretty discreet about my personal life as well. My close friends know I'm dating you, but I trust them. Ultimately, it doesn't matter to me who knows and who doesn't."

Then Quistis laughed slightly and said, "Selphie's going to be after me for details. She already suspects that I've met someone. And trust me, what _she_ knows, everyone knows."

"Well Xu's already aware. She's my friend too, you know." Nida told her.

Quistis nodded, "I did wonder what she wanted to talk to me about yesterday. But I've been so busy I haven't really had a chance to connect with her. With Selphie, well, she had me cornered last week but Irvine came back from his last assignment and spirited her away before I had a chance to say anything."

"I'm guessing you want to keep our relationship under wraps for the time being." Nida said.

Quistis nodded, "Yes, for a little while. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. It's nobody's business but ours anyway." Nida said, then pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed her fingertips gently, adding, "Don't worry sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere."

Quistis smiled and caressed his cheek, saying softly, "I've always suspected you had a stubborn streak, Nida."

"You bet. How else would I have made SeeD? Hung in there when others dropped out or failed? It's not easy to do what we do. It's even harder to _get_ to our level to do it at all. Stubborn? Yes. When it means something to me." Nida smiled back and kissed the palm of her hand. It meant something to him all right. It meant _everything._

It was amazing, Quistis reflected as they both dealt with the dishes and utensils they'd used in the preparation of their meal. On the one hand, it felt like their relationship was progressing at the speed of light, far faster than Quistis would ordinarily be at ease with. On the other hand, Quistis had _already_ known Nida for years. They already had a relationship, one that Quistis was content with. It had simply progressed from a platonic work relationship to a romantic one; an entirely different level, but one that with Nida at least, Quistis was becoming more and more comfortable with as time passed.

They returned to the lakeshore hand in hand as the afternoon progressed to dusk. What Quistis had begun earlier would be concluded later, they had both silently agreed, and Nida's immediate need had long since abated. It had by no means gone away however.

As they had done the evening before, they gazed out over the tranquil lake, listening to the creatures that lived there. A pair of ripples, disturbances left behind by something swimming under the surface, arrowed their way toward the shore where Nida and Quistis were standing.

The cause of those ripples reared up several meters from the shore where the water was still deep. Both Leviathan and the lake monster faced Quistis and Nida, side by side. They simply admired the creatures in silence, struck by the contrast between Leviathan's bright beauty and the lake monster's dark iridescence.

Quistis smiled and raised her camera to snap a picture, saying, "You two are too beautiful not to photograph. I hope you don't mind."

Leviathan sent her feelings of joy, which Quistis took to be agreement, and the lake monster…

 _"You may call me by the name of this lake, for I am its Guardian. I am Obel."_ It said.

"A Guardian? You're a GF?" Nida asked.

The creature turned its golden eyes upon Nida and responded, _"Not as you know them. I guard only this lake and its environment. I am an elemental like your lovely Leviathan, but not of enough strength to tempt anyone to capture and subjugate me."_

Quistis smiled then, saying, "I didn't believe Squall at first when he told me you'd spoken to him, even though I know he doesn't lie or make things up. You really did though, didn't you?"

 _"I did, though I did not reveal myself."_ The elemental said.

"Well, thank you for allowing us to visit your lovely home." Quistis said.

The creature inclined its head gracefully and replied, _"And thank you, for respecting it as such. And for allowing your Guardian to visit with me. Her company was much appreciated."_

Quistis and Nida both smiled as the two creatures twined their necks together in a serpentine embrace and then separated.

Facing them once again, the lake monster said, _"She is fatigued, and wishes to return. But before you leave this place, would you summon her once more?"_

"I'd be happy to." Quistis said, then turning her attention to Leviathan asked, "are you ready to return?" Leviathan nodded once, signaling an affirmative.

"Come then." Quistis said, and Leviathan touched noses briefly with Obel, then disappeared in a watery shimmer of light. Immediately, Quistis felt the Guardian's psychic presence in her mind, tired, sated and happy. Its physical form had returned to its home dimension. The feelings she got from the elemental assured her that Leviathan would be more than willing to return to this plane to visit with Obel once more.

"She will return in the morning," Quistis assured the resident monster and the creature inclined its head once again.

 _"Thank you. Have a good evening."_ Obel said, gracefully arching back into the water with a quiet splash. Only the telltale ripples left behind in its wake gave evidence of its passing as it swam away.

Nida slid his arm around Quistis' waist and pulled her close to his side, leaning his cheek against her hair.

"Now, that was just about the most amazing thing I've ever seen." He commented softly.

"Yeah, it was." Quistis said. They lapsed into silence for a moment, gazing raptly at the beautiful scenery before them.

Then she sighed, "I wish we didn't have to leave tomorrow."

"Me too. We'll have to come back and make a proper vacation of it, if we can get the time off. But we do have until tomorrow afternoon at least. We'll still be able to exhaust ourselves with fishing, swimming…and sex…" Nida said, and Quistis laughed.

"Had to have the sex in there, huh?" she smiled at him.

"Definitely. In fact, I seem to recall a bit of unfinished business that you started earlier. Are you interested in continuing from where you left off?" Nida asked, turning her to face him, hands caressing her waist gently.

Quistis gazed up at him, and Nida fell into her crystalline blue eyes. She was summer, he thought. Golden hair like the blazing glory of the westering sun, eyes that rivaled the summer sky. Creamy skin with a hint of gold, and luscious curves which the SeeD uniform she normally wore hid far too well. Those curves were now on full display, and the bright blue bikini top and sexy cutoff shorts that Quistis was wearing hid very little of them. Nida had ached to have even those brief scraps of clothing off of her and her naked in his arms all day.

"You want to go to bed already? It's not even dark yet." Quistis smiled, then gasped slightly and shivered as Nida's fingers traced lightly along the top edge of her shorts, across her stomach and up her sides.

"All the better to see you with, my dear." Nida murmured, slow smile starting as he leaned in closer to her.

"I thought you exhausted yourself swimming." Quistis teased.

Then she closed her eyes as Nida's cheek grazed hers lightly, his lips touched her ear and his warm breath sent a thrill down her spine as he whispered, "I'm feeling much restored."

"Are you now?" she asked breathlessly. She couldn't seem to catch her breath. Not with what Nida was currently doing to her.

"Mmm-Hmmm." He responded, trailing his lips down her neck while lightly brushing his thumbs across her hardening nipples through the thin fabric of her bikini top.

"Oh. That's…uh…." She gasped as he lightly nipped her neck. She swallowed as his hands trailed lightly down her belly to dip below the waistband of her shorts.

The only thing she could articulate after that was a low moan as his lips found hers at the same time that his fingers found…. something else. Her knees went weak and she clung to him while she fought for breath under the twin assault of his lips and his clever fingers.

Then, just when she felt that she couldn't take any more, that she was simultaneously on the verge of melting and exploding…. it stopped.

Her breath escaped her in a bewildered, "huh?" as Nida stepped away with a wide, roguish grin.

"If you want more," He teased, "you'll have to come and get it."

Then he sauntered toward the tent with a low chuckle.

Quistis was left staring after him, trying to gather her scattered wits. She was going to kill him. _After_ they'd finished what they'd started.


	10. Queen of Ice

Nida stood at attention in the control center of Garden, waiting for Squall's order to mobilize the base toward the field exam's location.

"Did you two have a fun weekend?" Xu asked him, dark eyes twinkling as she clasped her hands behind her back, similarly awaiting orders.

"We did." Nida answered. It had indeed been a wonderful weekend, made more so by the knowledge that Quistis shared his feelings. He hoped that those positive feelings would sustain Quistis for the duration of the field exam.

"You must have. Not one call from Quistis did I receive, which I took to mean that you kept each other so busy that she forgot." Xu smiled.

Nida chuckled softly, "can't put anything over on you, can I Xu?"

Xu smiled and turned her attention toward the lift from which Squall would appear at any moment, saying out of the corner of her mouth, "No, you can't."

"I'll keep that in mind." Nida said.

The lift brought Squall into view shortly thereafter and both Nida and Xu straightened their stances.

"Course laid in Nida?" Squall asked him.

"Yes sir." Nida answered.

"Let's get moving then." Squall said, stepping onto the bridge.

"Right away sir." Nida said, turning to the controls. As the garden started moving, Nida reflected that all he knew about the field exam was its location. What would be happening once they reached it was not information that had been imparted to him or really anyone else but the participants. Obviously, it was not something he needed to know.

Squall stood next to Nida, watching the landscape that they were flying above, with Xu standing on the other side of him.

"Any last minute orders commander?" Xu asked him.

"No. I've already approved the SeeDs proctoring this exam today, and the situation is unchanged. The action will commence as planned." Squall said.

"Very good sir." Xu said formally.

"Nida," Squall said, addressing him.

"Sir?" He asked.

"What is our ETA at this current speed and heading?" Squall asked him.

"Two hours." Nida answered.

Squall nodded, eyes narrowed, and turned to leave, saying, "Notify me when we've reached our destination."

"Yes sir." Nida acknowledged. Squall entered the lift and left the bridge, leaving Xu and Nida alone again.

"Are you going with Quistis?" Nida asked her.

"Yes. Don't worry Nida, she'll be fine." Xu reassured him.

"I'm not worried. I have complete faith in her and her cadets' abilities." Nida said calmly.

Xu smiled at him, "Good. Well, I have a few things to see to. I'll see you later." She headed toward the lift.

"Later then." Nida replied. Xu nodded and gave him a sketchy wave as she left the bridge.

Nida was left alone for the remainder of the trip with only the navigation and status instruments to keep him occupied and entirely too much time to think. He hadn't lied to Xu; he _wasn't_ worried about Quistis. Worrying about her would imply that he didn't think she'd be able to handle her assignment. He knew that she could, and so did not worry that anything bad would happen on the field exam. Not with four additional SeeDs along with her and Xu as backup in case things _really_ went south. They would be fine.

Nida watched as the Garden soared closer to their destination, which he judged from the coordinates to be somewhere between Timber and Dollet. It was thickly forested, and not too far from the Obel lake region that he and Quistis had just come from. He wondered at that. It seemed an awfully remote location for a field exam, and he hadn't heard of any activity in that area.

Then the indicator went off that they'd reached the destination that he'd preprogrammed into the navigation system.

Nida keyed open the commlink to Squall's office, advising him of their arrival. "We're here, commander."

"Thank you Nida. Stand by." Squall replied.

Squall reappeared on the bridge just moments later and came over to stand next to Nida, staring out at the green expanse of forest that Garden had come to rest near. A convoy of Garden's transport vehicles could be seen trundling toward the trees, disappearing into the forest.

Moments later, Quistis' voice could be heard on the commlink, saying, "Cadets have been deployed commander. SeeDs are in reserve, observing and preparing to engage if needed."

Squall went over to the commlink and asked, "Any hostile actions yet?"

A burst of static, then Quistis replied, "Not yet."

Squall frowned and turned away from the comm. and strode back over to where Nida stood, narrowing his eyes as he stared in the direction Quistis and the cadets had gone.

"Goddamn trees are in the way." He mumbled to himself. Nida glanced over at him, frowning slightly.

Another burst of static pulled both of their attentions to the comm. as Quistis' voice said crisply, "Engagement, left flank. Squad A" Sounds of gunfire and explosions could be heard faintly through the static. Faint wisps of white smoke drifted up from the trees in front of them.

Squall strode over to the comm. and asked shortly, "status?"

"Holding." Quistis answered.

Silenced reigned for a few minutes, then the comm. crackled again, "contact. Squads B, C, and D. Heavy activity on the right flank but holding well."

Nida divided his attention between Squall, who was frowning fiercely at the trees obscuring the action, and the forest itself. The only thing that could be seen was the smoke that appeared to be growing thicker; the only thing that could be heard was the sound of battle that came up sporadically on the comm. link whenever Quistis radioed in.

The battle seemed to be going well, the cadets were completing their objectives and beating back their opponents. But the smoke was getting thicker, and Squall's frown deepened.

"Quistis," he radioed. "Are your suppressive protocols working? I'm seeing a lot of smoke."

The radio crackled with static, and Nida began to worry, as the smoke got thicker still.

"Th…..withdrawing. We've held our objectives well…We're advancing now…" Quistis' voice responded, the transmission broken up by static.

Then suddenly, to Nida's horror, an entire section of the forest exploded into flame.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quistis, dressed primly in her SeeD uniform, gave Nida one final kiss before they separated to attend to their duties that morning. They did not say good-bye; SeeD tradition stated that it was bad luck to do so. Instead, they simply said they'd see each other later.

As she walked toward the parking garage where the assembled cadets were waiting to be briefed by her and by Headmaster Cid, she mentally ran through the assignment. As she did, she felt the Garden begin to move.

Xu caught up with her just as she was approaching the grouped cadets.

"You ready for this? I swear Squall must have briefed you for over an hour. I've never known him to be so long-winded." Xu commented.

"There was a lot to go over. You know how he gets about details." Quistis said.

"Yeah, that's true. Still, shouldn't be too difficult." Xu observed.

"That's why Squall felt it would be perfect for a field exam. Challenging, but not overly dangerous. It's not like we're facing G-army or Estharian troops." Quistis replied.

They reached the group and greeted Headmaster Cid and the two Garden Faculty members that stood near him. With Norg's ouster several years ago, the function of the Garden Faculty had changed significantly.

While they still existed within Garden, they were no longer the power they had once been. They still oversaw the educational curriculum of Balamb Garden, and still enforced the rules, but they were no longer feared. With Cid still Headmaster and Squall now firmly in command of the SeeDs, their role had been greatly reduced.

Quistis waited patiently while Cid delivered his customary speech to the prospective SeeDs, then took over when he was finished.

"We're deploying to a remote, forested area roughly midway between Dollet and Timber to engage and if possible, apprehend a gang of criminals that have been causing some trouble for both cities. They're organized and aggressive, which fits with the intel we got indicating that some of the leaders may be Galbadian Army deserters." Quistis explained, adding, "We will be discussing the full details of this action and give you all your squad assignments while en route. That being said, due to environmental conditions in this location, I strongly recommend stocking water and/or ice magic, particularly those of you who have fire elementals junctioned."

Quistis glanced over at Xu, who said, "Nida told me it'll take about two hours to reach our destination."

"Okay then. Cadets, we have two hours. Go over your junctions and stocked magics, make sure you are ready. Remember your training. Take into account not only the enemies you'll be facing but the external conditions you'll encounter as well. Meet back here, ready to go." Quistis said. The cadets acknowledged the order in unison, and drifted off.

"So, what do you want to do for the next two hours?" Xu asked.

"Well, besides getting a cup of coffee, pretty much the same thing I ordered the cadets to do. Speaking of which, what GF did you junction?" Quistis asked Xu in turn. She turned to walk back toward the cafeteria and Xu fell into step beside her.

"My usual one. Why?" Xu answered.

"Well, how about you take Leviathan?" Quistis offered.

Xu looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded, "Okay. So the conditions are as dangerous as we've heard then?"

Quistis frowned, "Well they have the potential to be. That area's been in a drought all summer. Those tall trees, all of that dry fuel. Add the fact that it's going to be a hot day and the last time I checked the weather, there was zero humidity and gusting winds. One spark and it'll all go up like a powder keg. There have already been several smaller fires in the area near Timber over the last month, and the suspicion is that it's due to the activity of these bandits. That's partly why Timber threw in with Dollet to hire us. Their foresters are overworked with keeping the fires under control, and if one does get away from them, it can threaten the whole town."

"And meanwhile these criminals are causing all sorts of havoc on top of all of this." Xu commented, then frowned, "I just hope that reminder you gave your cadets makes them sparing in the use of their GF's, because an unusually high number of them are junctioned to fire elementals. That could be bad."

"I know. That's why I've junctioned Shiva and I offered Leviathan to you. I've suggested something similar to the rest of the SeeDs. Either junction a water or ice-based elemental or stock a lot of water or ice magic. We're not only the backup for the cadets in case they fail, but also to prevent inadvertently setting the whole damn forest ablaze." Quistis said.

Upon reaching the cafeteria, Quistis got her coffee, and Xu followed suit.

After seating themselves at an empty table, Xu commented, "Well, then this assignment may be a better challenge for the cadets then I thought it would be. It'll certainly test them on all the levels they should have learned up to now."

"Yes. That's what we thought as well. Not only will it test the cadets' fighting abilities, and their ability to carry out orders, but also it will test their ability to recognize and adapt to other, less obvious dangers as well." Quistis said.

Xu nodded, agreeing with her.

All too soon, they had arrived at the location for the field exam and were piled into the transport vehicle with the cadets. SeeDs and support staff were following them as they traveled to the staging area. Xu and Quistis took turns giving the cadets the details of the pending operation and giving them their squad assignments while en route.

"Our information tells us that these criminals are operating out of a base camp, located here," Quistis said, highlighting the area on the holo-vid screen built into the transport.

"Squad A will deploy to the left, while Squads B and C will be stationed in the center, and Squad D on the right. All four squads will then move forward, with squads A and D continuing around the perimeter to completely surround the encampment. You will engage if you encounter resistance, but otherwise subdue anyone you come across via non-lethal means. This is a capture or kill mission, so lethal force _is_ authorized, but if possible at least try to capture alive these high value targets," Quistis said, highlighting images of the individuals in question. Quistis glanced over at Xu, signaling her to take over.

Replacing Quistis in her position at the front of the transport, Xu said, "The squad assignments are as follows: Squad A; leader, Jake Santos. Assigned to squad A are Michelle Howe, Rex Williams, Ashe Renard. Squad B; leader, Trey Johns. Assigned to squad B, Lirian Wells, Senna Ricks, Lance Ellis. Squad C; leader, Kyle Stevens. Assigned to squad C are Mark Savage, Ioan Kinnan, Taki Sankouru. And finally we have squad D. Leader, the other Trey, Trey Ruadh."

"Just call me Red," the titian haired cadet interjected, with quiet laughter following that comment.

"Well, it'll make it easier on the call signs anyway. Plus, it _is_ your name." Quistis commented, smiling at him. The cadet shrugged, grinning.

"Okay, continuing on," Xu said. "We have assigned to squad D Kenneth Zander, Troy Marcos, and Cillian Morgan."

Coming up to stand beside Xu, Quistis asked, "Does anyone have any questions?"

"Yeah. Where are the SeeDs going to be?" one of the cadets asked.

"Nowhere that you'll be able to see them. They're only there to observe and evaluate anyway. They will _only_ step in if you fail in your objectives." Quistis answered, hoping that the cadets understood that they were on their own once the exam started.

"As always, the order to withdraw takes precedence over anything else." Xu stated.

They arrived at the staging area moments later. Before taking off, each squad leader was issued a communicator and admonished to check in once they reached their positions.

Xu and Quistis remained behind in the transport, using it as a command post. When the squad leaders checked in with her confirming that they were in position, she ordered them to advance. The SeeDs, on a completely different frequency that the cadets were unaware of, confirmed to Quistis that they were shadowing. After the SeeDs and cadets had departed, Quistis radioed in to Garden to inform Squall.

Unwilling to stay in the sweltering transport, Quistis grabbed a remote comm. unit and some binoculars and headed for the gun turret on top of the transport.

"I'm going up for some air." She said.

"I'll join you." Xu said. Quistis nodded and they both climbed up to the turret.

It wasn't much cooler there. The only relief came from a stiff breeze. It moved the air at least, though it too was hot, and so dry that it sucked the moisture from the entire area, not just the two women that stood outside in it.

Not bothering to comment directly on the weather, Xu simply said, "At least we aren't drenched in sweat."

"If we go back into that transport we will be." Quistis said.

"You'll have to in order to report in to Squall." Xu said.

Quistis made a face at that. "Well, there's nothing to report yet. I'll go back in when there is."

Xu nodded, pulling out a pair of binoculars of her own and scanning the forest in the opposite direction from the one Quistis had been studying.

The remote comm. unit that Quistis was holding crackled to life as the cadets radioed in.

"Squad B. In position."

"Copy squad B. Stand by." Quistis replied.

"Squad C. In position." came another notification.

"Stand by squad C." Quistis said, raising her binoculars to scan the direction the two squads had taken.

Several moments passed, then another burst of static confirmed that yet another squad had reached their destination.

"Squad D. In position."

"Stand by squad D." Quistis said. The wait for the final squad to check in was long enough that Xu began to worry.

"What's the hold up?" she asked, frowning.

"They had the farthest distance to travel to get to the other side of the encampment. Be patient, Xu." Quistis answered calmly.

The comm. crackled once again, "Squad A. In position."

"Thank you squad A. All squads advance now." Quistis ordered.

The planned strategy had been to circle the encampment, capturing alive as many of the renegades as possible. Of course, it was anticipated that they would fight back, but when faced with SeeDs, or prospective SeeDs at least, the fight wasn't expected to last long. Even as desperate as these criminals could potentially be, they would be no match against the SeeDs.

Quistis ducked back into the transport briefly to report in to Squall, then resumed her post in the gun turret, watching as the cadets advanced upon the compound. As they did, she adjusted the channels on her handheld communicator so that she could radio directly to garden without having to duck back into the transport each time. It would save time and she would be better able to give Squall an accurate report of the activities.

A burst of gunfire from the left flank got Quistis' attention at the same time that the squad leader radioed in, "We're encountering hostile action. We've disabled a few people but just about everyone is fighting back."

"What's your status Squad A?" Quistis asked them.

"Holding. They're not throwing anything at us that we can't handle." The leader reported.

"Keep me posted." Quistis said, then radioed to Squall, "Engagement, left flank. Squad A."

"Status?" came Squall's response.

"Holding." Quistis reported.

Shouts and more gunfire erupted from the forest, and Quistis squinted through her binoculars, trying to get a view of the action through the thick forest. It grew louder and more intense, and she began getting reports from the remaining squads that they too were encountering serious resistance. The heaviest fighting appeared to be in squad D's quadrant.

"Squads B, C and D. What is your status?" Quistis asked crisply.

"Squad D, Red here. Heavy resistance from this quarter, and I don't know but I'm detecting a strong odor of kerosene or some kind of fuel. This may be a petrol supply storage area here or something like that." The squad leader, Trey reported.

"Squad D, use extreme caution then." Quistis ordered.

"Squad B. We've also got some fighting happening here, but we've disabled more people than we've killed. They're pulling back." Squad B's leader reported.

"Squad B, advance. Squad C?" Quistis asked.

"Moderate fighting. They're retreating." Squad C reported.

"Squad C. Advance." Quistis said, then radioed Squall and reported, "contact. Squads B, C and D. Heavy activity on the right flank but holding well."

"Good." Squall replied.

As expected, so much activity generated smoke, and Quistis began to see it hazing the sky with the distinctive scent of burning wood, and it began to worry her.

She was about to radio the squads and remind them of the dry conditions when Xu observed, "That's white smoke. They're dousing the fires as soon as they're starting. Don't worry Quistis, your cadets are doing fine."

"That fuel dump worries me. What if they've booby-trapped it?" Quistis frowned.

The fighting grew fiercer the closer the cadets drew to the compound. The people that had been disabled had been taken charge of by the SeeDs and placed in a transport. Once the action was concluded, they'd be shipped to the authorities, and Dollet and Timber could then work out which individuals were going to face what charges.

Quistis was in constant communication back and forth with Squall, advising him of the action. He did not give her any orders however. Those had already been given to her and he left it up to her to carry them out. One of the things that Quistis admired about Squall's command style was the fact that once he gave an order, he had perfect confidence that it would be carried out and as a result, left the method of doing so to the person he'd given that order to. In other words, he wasn't the type of commander that would breathe down a person's neck while they were trying to do their job.

That wasn't to say that he wouldn't step in if he found it necessary, but that wasn't generally a necessity.

While the fighting had raged, the conditions had gotten hotter, and the breeze, stiffer. Quistis' communicator seemed to be having difficulties with its signal for some reason, possibly due to the increased atmospheric activity. Either that, or the battery was going dead.

She frowned, as the smoke grew thicker, and darker.

"Quistis. Are your suppressive protocols working? I'm seeing a lot of smoke." Squall's voice crackled over the communicator. Before she could answer him, she was kept busy with incoming reports from all the squads indicating that their opponents were retreating into the compound.

So instead, she reported to Squall, "they're withdrawing. We've held our objectives well. We're advancing now. Shouldn't be too long before we've got them all." She frowned as the communicator went dead in mid sentence. She'd have to go back into the transport to report in.

Sighing, she went back into the vehicle and placed the handset back onto its charger, grimacing at the less than adequate battery life.

"Battery?" Xu asked her.

Quistis nodded, "Damn thing. You'd think they'd have figured out how to get better battery life out of those things by now."

When asked later, none of the cadets or SeeDs that had been there that day could believe what happened next. It had all happened so fast, the only thing on anyone's mind during those moments was survival.

The only thing anyone knew for certain was that the outlaws, anticipating an attack upon their compound, had set a trap. It had all the makings of a perfect storm. A pine forest, deep in the throes of drought, the trees and underbrush tinder dry. A hot day with no humidity to speak of and a prevailing breeze growing stronger by the moment. Add to that several hundred gallons of fuel accelerant liberally soaking the aforementioned dry trees and vegetation around the entire perimeter of the compound and all it would take was one spark for a disaster to result.

When the leader of the gang saw the cadets advancing, he provided the spark by triggering the explosive charges that had been hidden in the fuel storage area. The resulting explosion provided ample cover for the criminals to escape.

For the cadets however, it was a different story.

Quistis and Xu watched, hearts in their throats as the entire forest exploded into flames. As if summoned, the wind picked up in that moment, pulling the hungry flames skyward as they raced up the trees and devoured them in liquid sheets of molten gold and red.

Quistis raced down from the gun turret and into the transport, keying the mike with shaking fingers and shouting, "All squads! All squads! Everyone use your water and ice spells now! Radio in with your status!"

"Squad A! We're trapped! The fire's too hot! The blizzaga spells are slowing it down a little but it's not enough!" the squad leader radioed, panic evident in his voice.

"Squad B here! We're cut off as well! We can try to get to squad A and help them but we're running out of blizzaga and water spells and it's not even touching this!"

Quistis listened with tears in her eyes as she heard her cadets reporting in, each of them fighting bravely in the face of the monster that had been unleashed upon them, and all of them doomed to lose.

"Not if I can help it!" She whispered fiercely, ignoring Squall's urgent inquiries about the situation. Wiping tears from her eyes, she raced from the transport back up to the gun turret.

"Xu! We've got to help them!" she said urgently, checking her junctions and making sure she had plenty of healing potions and spells along.

Xu likewise checked her junctions and spell stocks, wisely not bothering to argue with her friend. A sudden thought struck her and she ducked back into the transport, opened a storage locker and grabbed a pair of scuba tanks that had been stored there with the tactical dive gear. Not perfect for the situation, but they would serve.

She handed one to Quistis who wordlessly strapped it on. Xu did the same.

"You ready?" Quistis asked her. At Xu's nod, she said, "let's do this!"  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Quistis! Quistis answer me! Quistis!" Squall was shouting urgently. When there was no response, he cursed under his breath and swung back to the bridge where Nida still manned the controls.

Nida watched, heart pounding, as Squall tried without success to reach Quistis, while the fire raged, growing at a terrifying rate.

"Squall…" he started, as Squall came up and stood beside him and stared out at the blazing forest.

"She's got both Leviathan and Shiva. If _they_ can't handle this…" Squall said, his voice trailing off. Nida swallowed, a chill tracing down his spine. He understood what Squall was getting at. If both a powerful water elemental and a strong ice elemental combined couldn't deal with this fire, then _nothing_ could. Nida didn't have to ask Squall if there were any other Guardians of that type that could be employed; he already knew that there weren't.

Still… "Squall, the cadets… we have to do something. She's going to need help…" Nida said, trying hard to stay calm, trying not to give in to the panic that was screaming just under the surface. He gripped the control arm of garden until his knuckles turned white, tension gathering like a lead ball in his guts.

Squall narrowed his eyes, as the fire grew larger, the breeze now stiffening into a wind that whipped the fire into whorls of orange-red fury. It hungrily devoured everything in its path, and was steadily working its way through the forest…right toward them.

Turning to Nida, Squall ordered, "Move it back."

Nida stared, "What?"

"We need to move Garden out of the path of the fire or we'll all be in danger." Squall said, eyes steely.

 _Quistis…no…_ "But, Squall..." Nida protested, shaking his head in disbelief. Was he simply going to abandon them?

"Do it Nida. That's an order!" Squall said coldly.

"You're just going to abandon them? I can't believe you!" Nida shouted angrily.

"No, _I'm_ not. But you are. Get Garden out of here. Now." Squall said firmly.

Nida clamped his lips shut and did as he was ordered, starting the process of getting Garden moving with his heart aching. He knew Squall was right to order him to move Balamb Garden with its entire population of SeeDs, cadets and faculty, several hundred people in all, out of harm's way. It didn't matter. It still felt like he was abandoning the cadets, and Quistis, to their fates.

Meanwhile, Squall swung back to the comm. and said, "Rescue teams One and Two, assemble. Stock as much water and ice magic as you can. Medic team Three, Rinoa will be joining you."

Turning back to Nida, Squall said, "Don't move the Garden until I give the order. You're in charge until I get back." He strode quickly to the lift and left.

Nida stared after him, face white with shock. There was only one thought that kept chasing around in his head in that moment. _What if you don't come back?_

He'd wanted to command garden himself one day, but not like this. Never like this.

He leaned his forehead against the control arm and closed his eyes, praying to whatever God was listening. Praying that his girlfriend, his friend and commander, his friend Xu and all of the cadets, would come back safely.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quistis wasn't thinking about how hard it would be to breathe the closer they got to the fire. She was glad Xu had thought of the scuba tanks. It was awkward, gripping that damn regulator in her mouth, and hard to breathe with it while running, particularly when she kept trying to breathe through her nose instead. But it did help.

She hoped Shiva was up to the challenge of freezing the raging inferno that she was preparing to plunge into. Quistis tracked her eyes skyward as the wind whipped the fire into a frenzy, turning it into a fast, hot crown fire, burning its way along the tops of the hundred foot tall pines. Shiva's range was limited, but…she might just do the job. Quistis hoped so anyway.

"Xu!" Quistis called, coughing. "Summon Leviathan. Direct the attack off to the left, at the leading edge there. I'm going to call Shiva and have her attack to the right."

"Got it!" Xu said, moving off a little to gain some room.

Quistis summoned the ice elemental and had her fling her strongest attack right at the area that Red had mentioned smelling fuel. A fire fueled by petrol can't be doused by water, but _ice_ …. Well it was worth a shot anyway.

She had Shiva narrow the width of the attack as well, concentrating it in a narrow beam that would hopefully create a path through the flames toward the area that the cadets were trapped. She hoped that she wasn't too late.

Quistis heard Leviathan's summon and heard the flames hissing as the flood of water struck it, quenching a section of it in clouds of steam. Then she summoned Shiva, who appeared in a swirl of icy mist.

She directed Shiva's Diamond Dust attack in the direction that she hoped the cadets were, and the icy blast effectively created a pathway through the fire. It didn't kill the flames entirely however. The attack went _forward_ , not _up_. The tops of the trees that Quistis had to pass beneath were still burning. With that in mind, Quistis knew she had to move fast.

Taking a deep breath from the regulator, and trying to calm the coughing fit that resulted, Quistis ducked her head, trying not to see the falling firebrands and burning branches that suddenly seemed to be dropping all around her, and _ran._

 _Oh, please…Oh, please…_ she thought, hoping against hope that she wasn't too late to save the trapped cadets. To hell with their objectives, they'd completed some of them at least. Whether the high-value targets they were actually after had escaped or not was moot. The situation had become far too dangerous to continue, and contrary to what some may think about mercenaries, _SeeDs_ at least were not expendable.

Not to her way of thinking at any rate.

She sneezed and tried to concentrate on breathing through her mouth with the regulator rather than her nose. Though she ran through a corridor of ice and cool mist, she could still feel the heat from the raging inferno just outside that pathway. And despite the air from the scuba tank that she was breathing, the smoke still choked her.

Her cadets, her _kids_ … they didn't have air tanks, and even with blizzaga and water spells to battle the fire with, they didn't have a chance once they were overcome by the smoke. She didn't think about the fact they might have been overcome already. She refused to consider the possibility that she might already be too late to save them.

 _Quistis, blizzaga spells are being cast. Directly ahead._ Shiva's voice chimed in Quistis' mind, alerting her that she was getting closer to her goal, and relieving her to no end as she realized that someone at least, was still alive and still fighting.

"Another blast Shiva!" Quistis panted, "now!" she coughed and stuffed the regulator back into her mouth. Damn thing was cumbersome as all hell, but it helped.

Shiva appeared quickly and flash froze the area in the path of her attack, leaving blackened char dusted with snowy crystals of ice amid clouds of steamy mist. To her left, she heard trees cracking and falling under Leviathan's torrential attack, steam hissing as the water drowned the fire. Quistis hoped that Xu was angling Leviathan's attack away from the cadets' positions.

She was just strides away from her goal, mist and smoke swirling about so thickly that she could barely see, barely breathe. But she heard a voice call out, saw a form through the haze, and made her way toward it.

Then she heard a crack like a gunshot, saw the falling limb too late to dodge. She tried, but she knew it would hit her. Before it did however a swirl of ice blue and snowy white deflected it. Quistis heard Shiva's cry of pain echoing in her mind as the burning log struck her, wounding her deeply.

 _I am sorry, but I cannot continue…_ Shiva whispered weakly before she faded from Quistis' consciousness.

 _Rest then,_ Quistis thought to her, heart freezing in her chest. She had blizzaga and water spells, was well stocked with both healing magic and potions. She could manage without Shiva. She had to.

Quistis plunged forward grimly through the smoke and haze. Her cadets were just up ahead, waiting for her.


	11. Trial by Fire

Xu ran, ignoring the heavy air tank bumping painfully against her back. The airflow wasn't enough for her to run with, but without it she could not breathe at all, so she paced herself as best she could. She quickly discovered that Leviathan was best employed at the leading edge, perpendicular to the advance of the fire rather than directly inward toward where the cadets were estimated to be. The force of the guardian's attack was too dangerous to be used too close to the cadets. It was far too destructive.

After yet another summon sent a wall of water at the flames, dousing them but taking down a row of trees in the process, Xu winced, thinking that she might actually be doing more harm than good. She had to take a different approach, obviously, if she wanted to rescue the cadets rather than fight the fire.

If only Leviathan could temper her attack a bit…then she paused as the caught a feeling of agreement from the Guardian.

 _You can?_ She asked. Leviathan responded in the affirmative.

Xu let Leviathan know what she intended, and summoned the Guardian again.

Leviathan appeared as she normally did, and this time instead of a wall of water, it sprayed out at the fire instead. Xu had angled the attack toward the cadets' positions this time, hoping that it would clear a pathway toward them. It _almost_ did.

It was still too damn hot. Xu cast a blizzaga spell to freeze the smoldering embers and raced over the char toward Squad A's last known location.

The smoke was blinding her; the heat, even with the blizzaga spells Xu was casting repeatedly, oppressive. But Leviathan sent her a warning of activity ahead, so Xu pushed on, desperately hoping that at least _some_ of the cadets had survived.

Blinking her streaming eyes, Xu plunged through the smoke and searing heat, and was warned by Leviathan of a blizzaga spell being cast directly ahead of her. She changed direction quickly to avoid being caught by it, though by that point she would have welcomed a temporary freeze if she weren't so worried about finding and helping the cadets.

The spell helped her however, providing a beacon to guide her to the cadet casting it, and she pulled the regulator out of her mouth briefly to call out, "Cadet! Identify yourself! This is Xu Xian!"

"Xu? Oh, thank Hyne! This is Cadet Howe! Over here!" The cadet called back, her voice fading into wracking coughs.

Xu hurried over to her and handed her the regulator, coughing in the smoke herself and asking, "Michelle, where's Santos, your squad leader?"

Taking the regulator out of her mouth, the cadet answered, "Follow me."

Xu followed the girl through the smoke and what felt like steam to an open area surrounded by piles of melting ice. Several cadets were spaced around the outside of the area marked out by the ice, facing the fire and periodically casting blizzaga or water spells on it, holding it back. Several more were inside the ring of ice, some casting healing or regenerative spells, some lying ominously still.

"Santos?" Xu called.

One of the cadets looked up, coughing, and responded, "Xu?"

"Is Squad B here too? We've got to get out of here now! Here," Xu said, handing him the air tank. "I'm not sure how much is left, but take a breath and pass it on, it'll help."

"Okay," The cadet managed, took a breath, and then handed it off to another cadet.

"Squad B's here too, they found us and together we've managed to hold off the fire, but we can't hold out much longer." Santos said.

"Well, follow me then. I've got Leviathan junctioned." Xu urged.

The cadet nodded and started encouraging the other cadets to pick up and carry those who couldn't move under their own power and follow Xu. She summoned Leviathan again and the guardian's attack sprayed down the pathway that Xu had taken in, cooling any lingering hot spots.

Then, eyes stinging, lungs burning, skin tight from the heat, Xu ducked her head and ran, leading the cadets back the way she had come, praying that the fire hadn't outflanked them and cut off their escape.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Heat and smoke. That was what Quistis' world had narrowed down to. Heat that stung, embers that burned. Her skin felt dry and tight; she knew she was well on the way to second-degree burns on her face and hands at least. She had to keep moving or they ran the risk of becoming _third_ degree burns and worse. Smoke seared her lungs, stung her eyes and blurred her vision. She couldn't take much more of this, she knew. She _had_ to find the cadets soon or _nobody_ was getting out of this alive, herself included.

"Red!" she shouted, taking the scuba mouthpiece out for a moment so that she could call out once more. "Squad leaders Ruadh! Stevens! Cadets Morgan! Savage! Kinnan! Can anybody hear me?" Her voice cut off as a spasm of coughing wracked her.

"Instructor Trepe?" a voice responded. _Yes!_

Quistis homed in on the voice, racing toward it, and calling, "Identify yourself cadet!"

"Trey Ruadh, squad D leader." The young man's form resolved itself from the smoke and haze, and Quistis felt such a sense of relief that she nearly hugged him.

"Oh, thank Hyne! Where's the rest of your squad?' she asked him.

"Here ma'am. We managed a defensive stand with squad C, but it's a good thing you showed up." The cadet answered, coughing while leading her toward where the rest of the cadets were fighting for their lives.

She only had a quick impression but it appeared that the cadets that had fire elementals junctioned were the ones in the forefront of the battle, but they weren't summoning them. Instead, they all appeared to have fire magic as part of their elemental defense, enabling them to actually absorb the fire that threatened them, holding it back from the cadets casting ice and water spells to fight it.

She had no time to ponder that strategy though; they had to get out of there, and fast. Before the smoke overwhelmed them all and they asphyxiated.

"Here!" she said, handing the air tank over to Red. "Pass this around, grab anyone who can't move under their own power and follow me. Let's get the hell out of here!"

"Right!" the cadet said, then turned to the group and called out. "You heard her! Let's move out!"

Quistis led them back the way she came, casting a blizzaga spell to put out the burning limb that had injured Shiva and blocked their pathway out. They moved as quickly as they could, but the fire moved faster, and while the pathway was no longer on fire, the treetops _above_ it still were. They were constantly dodging falling missiles from the crown fire, some of which came dangerously close to hitting them.

The dwindling air supply in the scuba tank sustained them and kept them all going, but as they made their way through the smoke and heat, Quistis began to fear that the fire had cut them off. More and more falling limbs and even trees threatened them, fewer and fewer cadets were casting blizzaga and water spells, and Quistis herself was running dangerously low on ice magic.

Looking back at the cadets laboring with their injured comrades, Quistis thought that they'd have a better chance if everyone could run on their own. So, in desperation she went for her Blue Magic and called the White Wind, healing herself and everyone present.

Now better able to run and move, if not breathe in the increasingly thick smoke, she led them onward toward where she was sure she'd entered the forest. Another crack sounded, barely heard over the roar of the fire, another tree falling….and this time, Shiva was not able to deflect it.

She saw it too late. She tried to dodge it but it struck her a glancing blow, knocking her unconscious and pinning her legs.

"Quistis! Instructor Trepe!" Cadet Ruadh gasped, then immediately cast his last blizzaga spell upon the tree, thereby saving her from immolation.

But they couldn't move the tree. It was too big for all of them together to shift, and nobody had a float spell handy. The cadets were left with the choice of either attempting to make their way out on their own, leaving Quistis there to die, or staying and fighting as long as they could, and dying with her.

Nobody even bothered to think about leaving. They all stayed.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Rescue Team One, deploy to the left flank. If you see any evidence that Leviathan's been used, follow it. Concentrate your spellcasting forward, but pay attention above as well. Watch for falling trees. Team two, you're with me. Medic Team three, stand by here with full trauma kits ready. Use up your blizzaga spells first to keep this area clear. Rinoa, you're with me as well. Everybody, we need to be fast, we don't have much time if we want to get everyone out alive. Let's go!" Squall ordered, donning a breathing mask and protective gear. Everyone else did as well, Rinoa included. Then as one they all turned and plunged into the fire, clearing a pathway in with repeated blizzaga spells.

It wasn't long before they came upon the transport that Quistis and Xu had brought the cadets in with. The fire had overrun it and it was a blackened, burned out hulk. But from there, it was easy to pick up both her and Xu's trail, and Squall ran forward with Rinoa at his heels. The rest of the team followed, periodically pausing to cast blizzaga spells at the burning trees flanking the charred trail that Shiva had left behind. Team one split off from the main group at that point, having discovered Leviathan's trail, and they raced along it, pausing only to cast blizzaga or water spells.

Squall glanced over at Rinoa, and she immediately started casting protection spells on everyone in their group. Then they ran, side by side, the rescue team following them through the blackened corridor. It made finding Quistis much easier than it might otherwise have been.

A wall of steam provided evidence of a water spell having been cast upon a burning tree, and they increased their speed, coming at last upon the cadets and Quistis, who lay motionless, partially pinned beneath a tree.

 _"Rinoa?"_ Squall sent, and Rinoa nodded, casting a float spell and lifting the tree off of Quistis. Squall and one of the cadets maneuvered the tree away from her and the rescue team moved in to help her and some of the other cadets who'd been overcome by the smoke.

 _"What happened? I thought she had Shiva with her?"_ Rinoa asked him, worry coming through strongly in her sending.

 _"I don't know Rin. We've got to get her and the cadets to the infirmary. We'll figure the rest out later."_ Squall responded, his worry echoing hers. Rinoa nodded and went to help the rescuers, checking over the downed cadets, administering potions and casting cure spells.

Approaching the SeeD working on Quistis, Squall took off his breathing mask and told him, "I'll take her. Let's get out of here." He knelt down and put his breathing mask on her, then picked her up.

The rest of the SeeDs and cadets did likewise, though many of the downed cadets could move on their own after they'd been cured. Squall glanced at the gathering and seeing that everyone was ready, led them back the way they'd come.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The fire had overrun them, and Leviathan was getting tired. Xu had lost the trail in, due to downed trees and the fire's heat drying out even the drenching the guardian had given it, making it impossible for Xu and the cadets to go back the way they'd come. Instead, she tried to race ahead of it to find a clear pathway back to Garden, but the fire moved much faster than Xu and the half-dozen or so cadets, some of whom were injured, that she was shepherding through this hell.

She had no earthly idea where they were anymore, and worried that they wouldn't make it out after all. They'd long since run out of air in the scuba tank, discarding it as a useless burden. Now Xu's lungs ached and her throat burned right along with the rest of the cadets.

Then something odd happened. Mist started rolling in, thick, moisture-laden clouds of it. Xu frowned in confusion at the impossibility of it. How was a mist coming up in the middle of a hot, dry day during a fire? And it kept coming; a white, cottony fog that left droplets of water upon every surface, cooling the ambient temperature, cooling the burns that everyone, Xu included, now sported.

A sudden burst of joy from Leviathan left Xu even more confused, until…

 _"I do not have the strength that you do, my darling Leviathan, but I will aid where I can. My home is threatened by this fire as well."_ The voice echoed in the mist and in Xu's mind, and she realized that whatever it was that had spoken, it had to be a water elemental like Leviathan. A feeling of affirmation from Leviathan confirmed that Xu's speculation was correct.

Coughs tore Xu's raw throat and she managed, "Thank you for helping us."

 _"You are welcome. You are very near the lake; you should be safe there. Leviathan will guide you. In the meantime, I will continue to increase the moisture in the air. It will slow the fire's advance and make it easier to defeat."_ The voice said.

Xu summoned Leviathan again and the guardian launched a prodigious attack at the fire. Coupled with the increased humidity, it was much more effective and doused a satisfying swath of the flames. Following the GF's prompting, Xu then led the cadets toward Obel Lake.

Just as the mysterious voice had said, the increased moisture hampered the fire's advance and they were able to make it safely through the now misty, dripping forest to the lake itself.

Turning her back to the lake, Xu faced the fire and once more summoned Leviathan. This time, the Guardian somehow melded her attack with that of the mysterious elemental that was aiding them. The wet, misting fog that rolled off the lake was now accompanied by a gentle, soaking spray of water, Leviathan's contribution. Both creatures kept up that attack until the advancing edge of the fire flickered and finally died in clouds of steam.

A feeling of satisfaction came to Xu then, and she watched in amazement as Leviathan, rather than retreating back to her home dimension, instead dove into the lake water with a happy warble.

"What the hell?" one of the cadets, the Squad leader Santos, said in amazement.

"I've never seen a guardian do that before." Cadet Howe said.

"Me either," Xu said, frowning.

Then to the watching cadets' and Xu's amazement, Leviathan surfaced, twined happily around a similarly serpentine creature in iridescent blackish green.

A collective gasp followed its appearance, and Cadet Howe asked incredulously, "The lake monster is _real?_ "

 _"I am the guardian of the lake. I am Obel. Rest here. I shall guide your rescuers to you."_ The lake monster said, golden eyes glittering, before it blinked once and disappeared back into the lake, with Leviathan accompanying it.

"Well," Xu said. "You all heard it. So let's relax here a little bit. Is everyone doing okay?"

"We do have a couple of cadets that are pretty badly injured, and of course everyone's dealing with smoke inhalation. Hopefully help will show up soon." Santos said. Xu nodded.

"I've got a good stock of cure spells. That should help fix everyone up." Xu said, and started casting the spells.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"We're away Nida. Get out of here. We'll catch up with you once we've got everyone picked up." Squall's voice ordered over the radio.

Nida had no choice but to comply, reluctantly directing Garden away from the path of the fire to a location that he hoped was far enough away to be out of danger, yet close enough that Squall and the rescue teams would be able to find it easily.

As he did, Cid came up onto the bridge, asking him, "Why are we moving? The field exam isn't over yet."

"Take a look headmaster. Squall ordered me to get everyone out of danger." Nida answered.

Cid did as directed, saw the advancing wildfire and exclaimed in surprise, "What the hell happened? What's going on? And where's Squall?"

"I don't know for sure, sir. Something happened and the forest just exploded into flames like this. It started heading toward us and Squall ordered me to move Garden. Then he got the rescue teams together and he and Rinoa went to see if they could save Quistis, Xu and the cadets. They just left." Nida explained, voice calm but quaking inwardly.

" _Squall_ went? _With_ the rescue teams?" Cid asked Nida. Nida nodded in confirmation.

Cid shook his head, muttering, "When is that boy going to learn to delegate? He's the _commander_ , he can't put himself at risk like this!"

Nida snorted at that and said, "You know that's not how he thinks. If he can do something about a situation himself, he'll do it."

"Meanwhile, who's in charge here? Did he say anything about that?" Cid asked.

Nida nodded, and answered hesitantly, "Yes. Me, sir."

Cid stared at him uncomprehendingly and asked, "You what?"

"He put me in charge of Garden until he got back." Nida answered.

Cid studied Nida in silence for a moment before commenting, "Well, at least he isn't a _complete_ fool." He turned and left before Nida could ask him what he meant by that.

Left to himself on the bridge once again, Nida had nothing to do but to listen for Squall's hail on the comm., watch the fire burn, and worry. He'd tried not to, but when he saw that explosion of flame, the only thing he could think about was Quistis being down there in the middle of it. Junctioned to Shiva or not, the situation was incredibly dangerous and Nida couldn't help thinking of the million or so things that could go wrong.

He'd never felt so helpless, or _useless_ , in his life.

 _I should be down there, not Squall. He's already done the hero thing, doing the impossible, saving the world, saving Rinoa…_ Nida thought. He'd never had a problem before with his responsibility to Garden. Sure, he'd never had a field assignment, but not all SeeDs did. His job of maintaining Garden, controlling and directing its movement, was a very important one, one that not many people knew how to do.

But despite everything that had been drilled into him since he'd come to Balamb Garden as a child and been accepted into the SeeD program, every fiber of his being yearned to be down _there_ , where Quistis was. Working to save her, or die trying. Instead, he had to run away. Run to safety. And leave the woman he loved to the whims of fate, which he already knew could be unspeakably cruel.

He didn't _care_ that he'd been given command of Balamb Garden in Squall's absence. Didn't care that despite his lack of field experience, he _did_ have battle experience, maneuvering Balamb Garden while it was battling with Galbadia Garden…. very, _very_ few SeeDs could boast that experience. Indeed, only _he_ could.

It didn't matter. It also didn't matter that he'd been _ordered_ to flee, not just for _his_ safety, but everyone else's as well. And he knew that he shouldn't compare himself to Squall; they were two completely different people. But still, he couldn't help wondering if their positions were reversed and it was Rinoa in danger down there, if _Squall_ would have followed orders and left, trusting his commander to save her.

Nida pondered that, realizing that he really didn't know. When faced with a similar situation during the battle between the gardens, Squall had gotten enough support from his friends that it had freed him to do what he needed to and rescue Rinoa. If that had not been the case however….Nida remembered clearly how torn Squall had been. The normally imperturbable façade he wore had crumbled, for just a moment, and Nida had seen a brief flash of anguish before it had been masked.

Squall had been prepared to choose duty over love in that case. His friends had saved him from being forced into that choice. Nida realized he'd had no other choice _but_ duty.

That was the most bitterly galling realization that Nida had yet had in his life.

He physically shook himself out of his brooding and paid attention to what he saw from the flying bridge and what he heard from the comms. Since duty was what he'd been left with, he might as well make the attempt to actually do it, though his heart wasn't in it. From the comms he heard nothing but static, a fact that worried him though it had only been minutes since Squall had left with the rescue teams.

What he saw from the bridge didn't offer much to allay his worries there, either. The fire raged onward, spreading out toward the lake and overtaking the area that Garden had been in just moments ago. It seemed an unstoppable force; one that even Shiva and Leviathan combined would be hard pressed to deal with.

Time crept along with Nida alone on the bridge, doing his best not to go crazy as he paced restlessly and waited. He put a call in to the infirmary to check with Dr. Kadowaki, making sure that she was ready for what may be a huge influx of casualties. When pressed for actual numbers however, he could only guess. Finally he told her that it could potentially be everyone that had been involved with the field exam and the subsequent rescue that would need at least _some_ form of medical attention.

Returning to his position on the bridge, Nida frowned as he saw what looked like a bank of fog rolling toward the fire from the direction of the lake. _Fog? But that's impossible. The weather reports said there was no humidity at all today…_ he wondered, but as he watched, it grew thicker, mingling with the smoke from the fire and obscuring everything. Soon, it blanketed the entire area near Obel Lake.

After what seemed like an eternity with Nida unable to see anything at all, what with the fog and the smoke both mingling together; a burst of static from the comms made Nida jump and turn toward the console, heart pounding.

"Nida…" Squall began, voice rough and nearly unrecognizable, and fading out into wracking coughs. "We've got them. Turn on the beacon to guide us to you, I can't see shit right now."

"Right. I'm sending you our current coordinates…." Nida swallowed, deftly switching on the beacon and transmitting the coordinates, asking, "How's…everyone?"

"Two dead. Several injured, but no one critical right now. Cure spells took care of that. Mostly smoke inhalation and some broken bones that need setting, so we couldn't cure those fully." Squall answered.

Nida closed his eyes. Two dead. _Please Hyne…_ he prayed, _Not Quistis. Not Xu._

Taking a deep breath, he keyed the comm. again and said, "I've already notified Dr. Kadowaki, and she should be ready for you."

"Thank you Nida." Squall said, signing off.

Nida stared at the mike, heart still pounding. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask Squall who had died, but he couldn't get the words out. If it was Quistis, he didn't want to hear it over the radio in that coldly impersonal voice that Squall used. Like anyone who'd lost a loved one, he wanted to hear it personally from the commander himself. Face to face.

Minutes ticked by with Nida's tension stretching tighter with each passing second, until finally Squall radioed in sounding both tired and relieved, "We've made it. Take us back home to Balamb, Nida." Nida went limp momentarily, relieved that alive or dead, _everyone_ was back.

Listlessly keying the mike again, Nida responded, "Yes, sir." Then he went back to work.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

While Nida was guiding the garden back to Balamb, Squall, Rinoa and the medic team were exiting the transport and hurrying to the infirmary with the cadets. The two bodies that they'd managed to retrieve were already in bags, ready to be transported to the morgue.

They'd managed to find Quistis and her cadets, who surprisingly had all survived and were in relatively good shape, fairly quickly. They told him that she'd called the White Wind, healing them all. Quistis herself was the only one of them that had sustained any serious injury.

Xu and the group of cadets that she'd made contact with had been harder to find, as the fire had pushed them out to the very edge of Obel Lake. Still, following the trail of downed trees from Leviathan's tsunami attack, coupled with…a _voice_ … that provided guidance, the rescue team had been able to find them.

The rescued cadets, the SeeDs that had come as part of the rescue and medic teams, those cadets and SeeDs that just happened to be in the right place at the right time, all stared at the incongruous sight of Squall carrying the limp form of Quistis in his arms as they walked quickly from the parking garage to the infirmary. His charcoal smudged face was unreadable, but Rinoa walked beside them with a worried frown on her face.

Frowning down at her, Squall said, "Quistis, c'mon now, you need to wake up." He shuddered as coughs wracked him. Taking off his breathing apparatus was not the smartest move in the world, an act that Rinoa had already taken him to task for, but Quistis had needed it more.

 _"I understand why you did it, but it doesn't make me any happier to hear you coughing like that. You realize this is going to set your training for the marathon back quite a bit, don't you?"_ Rinoa sent.

 _"I know Rin."_ Squall responded.

As they walked, Quistis stirred, opening her eyes and coughing as well. Seeing that she wanted to say something, Rinoa removed the mask so that she could speak.

"If this is your attempt to be romantic Squall, you're years too late." Quistis said weakly

Squall's expression lightened and he responded with a half-smile, "Hey now, are you trying to get me into trouble? My wife's right next to us."

"How are you feeling Quistis?" Rinoa asked her.

"Somewhere between barbecue and beef jerky, with a side of charcoal thrown in." She answered in a hoarse whisper. Squall exchanged a frown with Rinoa as he heard the wheeze as she coughed.

Closing her eyes again, she whispered, " M'legs hurt."

"They're broken. We could only do a half cure until Dr. Kadowaki can set them. They're splinted now." Rinoa told her.

"Tired…" Quistis said, unconsciousness threatening to claim her again.

"Stay with us Quistis, we're almost there." Rinoa urged her, preparing to place the mask back on her.

"Nida…" Quistis whispered, wishing he were there. Wishing it was he instead of Squall carrying her in his arms. The breathing mask was placed over her face again, and Quistis drifted back into oblivion.

"Quistis? What did you need? She's out." Rinoa said, sighing.

"Well, we're here anyway. She'll be okay, Dr. Kadowaki will take care of her." Squall said, carrying Quistis into the infirmary to lay her gently onto one of the beds.

"Yes, she will. Which leaves me to take care of _you_ , Commander Leonhart." Rinoa said firmly, taking Squall by the arm and leading him out of the room where he'd placed Quistis, making way for Dr. Kadowaki who bustled in and took over.

"Me? Rin, I'm fine…" then he coughed, proving that statement to be a lie…or at least an exaggeration.

Rinoa raised an eyebrow and said, "Right. Come here." She led him into another room, held up a breathing mask and Squall sighed, allowing her to place it over his mouth and nose. The medicated vapor helped ease the itchy tightness in his chest and throat, and he submitted to it with good grace.

 _"Idiot."_ Rinoa sent, giving him a kiss on the cheek. _"Don't do that to me again."_

 _"I won't."_ Squall replied, eyes solemn.

 _" Now, just relax here for a little bit. I know you'll have a million and one things to deal with in the aftermath of this, but it can wait."_ Rinoa sent firmly.

 _"You're going to be busy for the rest of the night, aren't you?"_ Squall asked her privately.

 _"You know I am. You're not the only one that has smoke inhalation issues to deal with. You're not even the worst case."_ Rinoa responded.

 _"Then I'll stick around here for awhile."_ Squall sent. Rinoa pushed him gently down onto the bed, letting him know that she intended for him to rest as much as possible. He lay back onto it, then reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently.

Bending down, she brushed his hair away from his forehead and kissed it, whispering, "Why don't you try and take a nap? I'll look in on you later."

 _"All right. I love you Rin."_ Squall sent.

 _"I love you too."_ Rinoa responded, leaving him to rest while she went to help Dr. Kadowaki with the cadets.

They arrived in Balamb two hours later, Nida wondering the whole time why Squall hadn't reappeared on the bridge to resume command. He wondered briefly if he should call his backup, but once they were back in Balamb, it really wasn't necessary. The Garden wouldn't be going anywhere for a while at least.

So Nida automatically went through the procedures of shutting down the engines and navigation equipment, and announcing to everyone over the P.A. that they had returned to Balamb. Then finally, his job finished for the day, he left the bridge.

He only just managed not to race to the infirmary in a blind panic, though his guts churned with it as he made his way there. The quiet atmosphere that he encountered once he got there did little to quell his anxiety. Why so quiet? Weren't there better than a dozen people that needed medical attention?

Dr. Kadowaki sat at her desk sipping at a cup of cold coffee as he came in, greeting him with, "I take it we're back in Balamb?"

"Yes, doctor…. Um…" he started, when she interrupted him with, "Squall's in room three. He should be out any minute now, Rinoa's just about done healing him."

"Squall? He got hurt?" Nida frowned. He'd heard Squall coughing over the radio but hadn't thought that he'd been exposed to enough smoke to actually injure him.

"Mild smoke inhalation. Not nearly as bad as the cadets they brought in. A few of them are going to have to stay here for a few days even with the healing spells that had been cast on them." Dr. Kadowaki answered him.

"Oh. Well…uh, what about…" Nida began, to be interrupted again when the door to one of the rooms opened and Squall came out with Rinoa.

"When are you going to be home?" He was asking her.

"I've got a couple of the more critical cadets to look in on, and then I'll be done. You are going home, right?" She asked.

"Yes. Tonight I am. Can't say about tomorrow though." He sighed.

"Tomorrow's not here yet, and you'll need to be rested to deal with what's to come." She said.

"You're right." He said, smiling tiredly down at her. She smiled back and he gave her a quick, soft kiss. Nida looked away, uncomfortable at witnessing such an intimate moment.

"Nida. I heard your announcement. You're done for the day. Anything you need to bring to my attention can wait for tomorrow." Squall said.

Nida directed his attention back to him and said, "No, it's…it's not about that. I just wanted to know how everyone was doing."

Squall nodded and said, "Well, aside from the two fatalities, everyone's doing fairly well, all things considered."

Nida swallowed and steeled himself, asking, "Who…?"

"Two of the SeeDs proctoring the exam, Ricks and Jameson. Notifying their next of kin is the first thing I get to do tomorrow." Squall answered.

 _Not Quistis. Not Xu. Thank you Hyne…_ Nida felt such a flood of relief he wanted to weep. Of course, doing so in front of his commander in the current context might engender some questions about his stability, at the very least.

Then a thought struck him and he asked Squall, "You weren't junctioned when you went in there, were you?"

"No, I wasn't." Squall answered.

Nida stared at him, "It's a wonder you didn't die."

"I know." Squall replied, and then added with a grimace, "It's going to set my training back a bit, I'm afraid."

"At the very least. I wouldn't even try for the first qualifying meet if I were you." Nida told him.

"I thought as much. Well, I'm off. You have a good evening Nida." Squall said, heading for the door.

"Wait." Nida requested. Squall stopped and turned back to Nida, expression curious.

"Listen. I know you've never run a marathon before, so if you have any questions, or if there's anything I can do to help, let me know." Nida said.

Squall nodded, saying, "I will, thank you." Then he left Nida alone in the main room infirmary with Dr. Kadowaki.

Turning back to her, he asked, "What rooms are Xu and Quistis in? I'd like to see how they're doing."

Dr. Kadowaki raised her eyebrows and smiled slightly, answering, "Well, Xu is in room two, and Quistis is in room four."

Nida sighed, the swallowed and said, "Thank you." Then he turned and walked out of the main room and down the hallway.

He stopped in Xu's room first. She lay in the bed, eyes closed, and Nida thought she was asleep at first. He smiled slightly, relieved to see that she appeared to be okay, if a little smudged with ash and disheveled looking.

He was about to turn away and leave when she opened her eyes and said hoarsely, "Hey."

"Hey yourself. How are you doing?" He asked softly, smiling.

"Not bad, all things considered. The doctor says I just need a day or two of rest and I'll be back on my feet. Just need to let my body catch up with the Cure spells." Xu answered, smiling back at him. Then she yawned.

"I'd better leave you to it then." Nida said, preparing to leave.

Xu's smile broadened, "I didn't think you came here just to visit me. You going to stick around awhile?"

"Yes. For as long as I need to." Nida replied, thinking, _until Hell freezes over if necessary._

Xu nodded and closed her eyes, saying, "Tell Quistis I said 'hi' if she happens to be awake."

"I will." Nida said, taking his leave of her.

He walked down the hallway, past the doorway to the room Squall had just vacated, trying to ignore his building apprehension. He purposely hadn't asked Squall or Dr. Kadowaki about Quistis' injuries. He already knew she'd been hurt, and could guess most of those injuries would be related to the fire; burns perhaps, and smoke inhalation of course. He really didn't know if they'd have even told him anyway, if he'd asked, since it was unlikely either Squall or the doctor was aware of his relationship with Quistis.

To distract himself from his anxiety, he focused on the surroundings, appreciating how the clinical aspect of being in the infirmary was largely confined to the exam rooms. For the remainder of the facility, soft rugs, gauzy draperies, and muted, cool colors combined to provide a serene and soothing atmosphere. All the better to deal with the emotional extremes one often sees in a place like this.

Pausing outside the door to Quistis' room, Nida took a deep breath; not at all sure what he'd see once he walked in, and opened it.

She was asleep. At least, Nida _hoped_ she was asleep, rather than comatose.

She was alive. She was breathing. And Nida had to believe that she would eventually recover completely. She would be fine. _She would be fine._ Nida repeated that litany over and over again in his head, hoping that he would eventually come to believe it.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ignore his stinging eyes, his blurring vision. He approached her bed quietly; wanting her to wake but also fearing to interrupt the sleep that he hoped was healing her. He wanted to hold her hand, needed that contact with her, not only to reassure her that he was with her, but also to simply maintain contact with her. So he reached for it and stopped, eyes flooding with tears.

Pulling his hand back, he pressed it against his lips, feeling completely helpless and useless all over again, aching. The gauze that wrapped it, protecting the burned skin beneath, denied him even the small gesture of holding her hand and offering his comfort and support. He knew how painful burns could be, even with cure spells speeding the healing process. He didn't dare touch her, for fear of hurting her.

Swiping the moisture away from his eyes, he sat down in the chair that had been left by her bed, and simply watched her sleep. The skin on her face was reddened, and looked to have blistered in places. Her hair looked like it had been singed in places, and Nida sighed in sympathy at the thought that Quistis might have to cut a significant amount of hair off to repair the damage.

Cautiously, he reached out and lightly stroked the back of his hand over her hair, feeling its soft texture along with the damage the fire had done to it.

"I'm here Quistis. I promise I'll be here when you wake up. I love you." He whispered. Then he made himself as comfortable as he could. He was telling Xu the literal truth when he'd said that he was going to stay as long as he needed to. Until Quistis woke up, he wasn't going anywhere.


	12. What Doesn't Kill You...

The cadet waited nervously at the lift, hoping that he wasn't too late and that Squall wasn't too angry. It was never good to keep the commander waiting, but Dr. Kadowaki had taken her sweet time about pronouncing him fit to leave the infirmary and face…. whatever Squall had in store for him.

The other squad leaders had similarly been summoned; each in turn, but no one yet had said what had gone on during those meetings. If he had to guess, it was likely an interview to gather information about what had happened during the field exam and to quiz him on his actions during the crisis that had followed.

The lift finally arrived, taking the cadet to the second floor, where he got off and walked toward Squall's office with a confidence that attempted to drive away the butterflies that had taken residence in his midsection.

Finally reaching the door he knocked, opening it when the voice inside bade him to.

Entering the office, the cadet asked, "You wanted to see me sir?"

Squall, seated at his desk and studying a sheaf of papers, looked up and said, "Yes. Have a seat, Cadet…Ruadh?" He frowned down at the papers again and asked, "Cadet Trey Ruadh? Student ID 445677, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir." Trey said, sitting down cautiously on the edge of the seat facing Squall's desk.

"I have you registered as Trey Stone. Care to explain?" Squall asked him.

"Ah, well sir, it's actually both. Ruadh is an old Centran name, from my mother's family. Stone was my father's. I'm actually registered as Trey R. Stone." The cadet explained.

Glancing at his paperwork again and confirming it, Squall nodded, "So you are."

Laying the papers down, he returned his attention to the cadet and said, "I'm sure you're wondering why I've called you in here." At Trey's nod, Squall continued, "well, you've nothing to worry about. All I'm interested in is your account of the events that occurred during the field exam. Be as detailed and factual as possible, please."

Reaching over to the other side of his desk, closest to Trey, Squall turned on a recorder, spoke the current date and time, and said, "Cadet Trey Ruadh Stone, Squad D leader, giving his account of the events that took place during Field Exam Twenty-Three A. Squall Leonhart Commanding and present." Glancing up at Trey, Squall said, "Go ahead." Then he leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest, and waited.

Trey hesitated a moment, then cleared his throat and spoke.

"We deployed to the northeast quadrant of the camp's perimeter, and held position until I received orders from Instructor Trepe to advance. We encountered hostilities almost immediately, capturing some but killing more. Going by the radio chatter, some of the other squad leaders had more captures than kills, but not us." The cadet paused, took a deep breath and continued, "We'd been warned of the conditions, so we all had as much water and ice magic, as well as healing magic, as we could manage to stock. In addition, since a lot of us had fire elementals junctioned, we had all junctioned fire magic to our elemental defense." Squall nodded, but otherwise remained quiet, reserving any questions or comments for after the cadet had concluded his statement.

"Anyway, as we approached the perimeter of the encampment, I noticed a strong fuel smell, and saw what looked like several large fuel tanks. I reported these observations to Instructor Trepe, who advised caution. At that point, I told my squad to cast protection spells on themselves, just in case. I didn't see that they'd rigged the tanks to blow, though I should have anticipated it. I did move us off a bit, to give us some space between the tanks, and us but the smell of fuel didn't fade. It was like the entire forest was soaked in it." Trey paused again, frowning in concentration, trying to find the words to describe what happened next.

"We were pursuing the hostiles into their camp and as we passed the fuel tanks, they exploded. I honestly don't know how we survived though the protection spells and having fire magic junctioned to our defense was likely the reason. We managed to get ourselves into an open area and just started casting blizzaga and water spells to keep the fire back. It was touch and go for a little bit; even with the protect spells we were getting hurt. The heat killed the comms pretty fast, so I didn't know what was happening with the other squads or anything else, really. Somehow, squad C managed to hook up with us and we figured out that those of us with fire elementals junctioned were more effective in holding the fire back. So we arranged ourselves on the outer perimeter, while the rest of the cadets stayed back and kept casting healing or regen spells. We held out like that, waiting for the initial flashover to kind of die down so maybe we could work on getting _out_ of there. Instructor Trepe found us shortly after that. She led us down the pathway she'd managed to create on the way in; there were a lot of trees and branches falling and Instructor Trepe was hit and pinned by one that she hadn't been able to avoid. We all decided to stay put and do our best to keep the fire off us all when it turned out that none of us had any float spells handy." Trey took a deep breath, finishing his narrative.

Squall studied him silently for a moment, and then asked him, "Did Instructor Trepe use her GF at any point after she made contact with you?"

Trey frowned and answered, "No, she didn't."

Squall nodded, looking thoughtful, then said, "Thank you, Cadet Stone. I'll call you if I need anything else, but for right now, you're dismissed." He reached over and switched off the recorder.

The cadet nodded and stood, then asked Squall hesitantly, "Is…Is Instructor Trepe okay? We haven't heard anything and…"

"She's fine. She's resting." Squall answered him.

"Good," Trey said, relieved, then asked, "What about the field exam?"

"We're still gathering information on that. You and the other students will be informed once a decision is made regarding the field exam. Until then, your time is your own." Squall answered.

"Thank you sir," the cadet said, leaving the office.

Squall took the cassette from the recorder, along with a sheaf of paper, and left the office himself. He had almost everything he needed to complete his investigation of the field exam; all four squad leaders' and the two surviving SeeDs' personal accounts, as well as Xu's story. He only lacked Quistis' recollection of what had happened.

He stepped into the lift, and punched the button for the first floor. He hadn't looked in on Quistis yet, to see how she was faring. He had been busy all morning, talking with Cid and both of the clients that had hired SeeD to capture those renegades in the first place. The targets that the clients most wanted captured had escaped. Most of the people that they had managed to capture, while still criminals, weren't the ones that both Timber's and Dollet's officials wanted the most.

They had already been transported to Dollet, as it was closer, and as far as Squall was concerned, Dollet and Timber could just fight it out over whom they wanted to charge for what. Explaining to their clients why they hadn't fully met their objective was not Squall's preferred way of spending a morning. The investigation that he was conducting was in part an effort to determine where things went wrong, so as to prevent a similar or worse event from occurring in any future endeavors.

As far as who gets to accept the blame for the failure of the field exam? As commander, that was Squall's duty. Fair or not, they were _his_ cadets, it was his strategy, and it was his exam. As Headmaster Cid had told him earlier, the leader accepts both blame and acclaim in any action. This time around, there was more than enough blame for Squall to bear.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quistis awoke feeling…dry. That was the only term she could think of to describe how she felt. Her skin felt tight, her lips were cracked, and her mouth felt cottony. She took a deep breath experimentally and was relieved to discover that the tightness in her chest was gone.

She sighed, still feeling weak. Rinoa must have used a low-level, slow-acting healing potion on her, the better to make sure her bones knitted correctly. Quistis already knew it would take her body a day or two to catch up; the accelerated healing would be concentrated on the bones and deep tissues first.

Blinking her eyes clear, she looked around the room, smiling gently as her gaze came to rest upon a dark, tousled shock of hair. Nida had folded his arms on the side of the bed, resting his head upon them and had fallen asleep that way.

Quistis lifted her hand to touch his hair and frowned at the gauze that wrapped it. She flexed her fingers, felt the sting of burned skin, and sighed. Superficial injuries always took the longest to heal, and her burns weren't serious, merely uncomfortable.

Deciding against touching him until her skin had healed a bit more, Quistis instead whispered, "Hey."

Nida woke up immediately, blinking and smiling at her, "hey yourself. How are you feeling?" He rested his chin on his crossed arms, stifling a yawn.

"Beef jerky comes to mind." Quistis answered. Nida laughed softly.

"You're looking better." Nida observed. It was true; the blisters and a lot of the redness had already faded from her face.

"Were you here all night?" Quistis asked him, frowning.

"Yes. I wanted to be here when you woke up." Nida answered her softly.

Quistis smiled over at him, eyes beginning to water. She couldn't deny that it _had_ felt good to see someone there when she'd awakened. She hadn't ended up in the infirmary like this too often, and this was the first time that anyone had been waiting for her when she woke up. She found it made a significant difference, certainly in her spirits, and possibly even in her healing process. Quite simply, it made her _feel_ better to see him there.

"Thank you." Quistis said. Then she frowned and licked at her lips. The cottony feel in her mouth had faded somewhat, but she was still very, very thirsty.

"Here. This was by the bed, and I'm assuming its water." Nida said, handing her a covered cup with a straw protruding from the lid.

Quistis took it and drank deeply, sighing in relief. When the cup was emptied she handed it back to Nida.

"Do you want more?" he asked her. When she nodded, he got up to fill it from the water fountain in the main room. Upon returning, he handed it back to her and she took a couple more sips before setting it aside.

"You look tired." She observed.

"No offense, but this wasn't the most restful bed." Nida replied.

"Why don't you go get something to eat and go to sleep for a bit? I promise I'll be here when you get back." Quistis suggested.

Nida sighed, yawning again, and said, "all right. I'll be back later though."

"Okay." Quistis smiled at him again. "I love you."

Nida stood, smiling down at her and said, "I love you too sweetheart. I'll be back later." Then he bent down and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"See you then." Quistis said. Nida nodded and left. Yawning, she drifted, closing her eyes drowsily and intending to go back to sleep. Before she could however, she received another visitor.

"Good, you're awake." Squall said, approaching her bed.

"I almost wasn't." Quistis said, punctuating that statement with a yawn.

"I'll try not to take too long then." Squall replied, sitting down in the chair that Nida had just vacated.

He'd come in full uniform, carrying a small recorder and a file folder. So, this was official. Good, best to get this part over with as soon as possible, Quistis thought. From the looks of it, he'd already been hard at work gathering as much information about what had happened as possible.

"You didn't waste any time getting started on this." Quistis commented.

"I wanted to get to the interviews as soon as I could, while it was fresh in everybody's minds." Squall replied. Then he asked, surprising her, "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Still tired and dried out, but better." She answered.

"Good." Squall said, smiling slightly at her. She smiled back, then it faded as she asked a question that she knew he'd have the answer to, whether she wanted to hear it or not.

Taking a deep breath, Quistis asked him, "Did…How's…. everyone?"

"Fine, as far as I know. Some smoke inhalation and burn injuries, but there were only two fatalities." Squall answered her.

"Two…?" She asked, unable to finish the question.

"Yes. Two of the SeeDs proctoring the exam didn't make it. Ricks and Jameson. But all of the cadets survived." Quistis dissolved into tears as Squall added softly, "you saved them all, you and Xu."

"They made it," she whispered, eyes streaming. "They all made it."

"They did. And it's thanks largely to your training that they survived." Squall confirmed.

She couldn't speak after that. She was crying too hard. Squall waited patiently for the storm to pass, silently handing her tissue after tissue before simply handing her the entire box, prompting her to start laughing in the midst of her tears. That helped her to regain control, and she appreciated Squall's deft action, planned or not, which effectively distracted her and helped her to calm down.

Then it sank in that two of the SeeDs proctoring the exam had died. Two of the four required evaluations would not be submitted.

"We're going to have to redo the field exam, aren't we?" Quistis asked Squall.

"I'm afraid so. Without all four evaluations, the exam is incomplete. We can't judge based on only two observations." Squall answered her.

Quistis sighed, "That's so unfair. After everything these kids have gone through, and now this…"

"I know, but there's not much to be done about it. If it makes you feel any better Quistis, the consensus is that this exam is a wash." Squall informed her.

"So it won't go on their records as an attempt?" Quistis asked him.

"No. It won't. It's already been determined that they're not to blame for its failure." he answered.

"Well, at least they won't have to worry about their prerequisites the next time around." Quistis said. Squall nodded.

Nodding toward the recorder, Quistis asked, "I'm guessing you need my recollection of what happened?"

"Yes, I do." Squall answered her.

"Why isn't your assistant doing this? Didn't you hire one already?" Quistis asked him.

"Actually, no I haven't." Squall answered.

Quistis laughed slightly, asking, "Why?"

Squall raised one eyebrow and answered, "Well, the short answer is that I've been rather busy."

"But there's more to it than that, isn't there?" Quistis asked, and Squall nodded.

"There is, and we'll get to that. Now, if you don't mind…?" Squall said, lifting the recorder before placing it on the table next to her bed.

"Okay, go ahead then." Quistis said, and Squall switched the recorder on, stated the time, date, his and Quistis' names, then nodded at Quistis to continue from there.

When she'd finished recounting her version of the events, Squall switched off the recorder and commented, "We'd wondered what had happened when we found you pinned. Shiva should have protected you, but you said she'd been knocked out blocking another tree from hitting you?"

Quistis nodded, "She saved me then but wasn't able to do it a second time."

Squall grimaced, "Bad luck, that."

"Yeah. So what else did you want to talk to me about? I know it wasn't just about what happened." Quistis prompted him.

Squall laughed softly, shaking his head, "Haven't lost the knack, have you?"

"Rinoa's better at reading you than I am these days." Quistis said.

Squall shrugged, conceding the point. "True. She _is_ my wife. Although if you ask her, she'll tell you it's taken forever to get to that point."

"I know." Quistis said smiling enigmatically at him, and nearly laughing at the startled look he gave her.

"Don't worry Squall, she doesn't let anything personal slip. We just get together for coffee once in a while." Quistis reassured him.

"I see." He replied, relieved. Quistis laughed softly. While more open with his friends than he had been in the past, Squall was still an intensely private person.

"Well, as you already know, it's been a busy morning for me." Squall said. "I've finished interviewing all of the squad leaders and Xu, and now you. I've already met with the clients, as well as Cid and the faculty, and the day's not even half over yet."

"And there's more still to do, isn't there?" Quistis asked him.

"There always is. And yes, I really, really need an assistant to help me with this. I need someone that I can count on and trust, and I just haven't found it in any of those applicants I've interviewed so far. One or two have come close but just didn't seem to quite fit." Squall said. Then he leaned forward and studied her intently, adding, "on top of all of this, Cid's still on me to either take over for him as headmaster or find someone for him who can. He wants to retire Quistis, and who can blame him?"

Quistis' breath clogged in her throat at the thought. Squall as headmaster? She couldn't see it. It just didn't fit his personality or his experience. What was Cid thinking?

"I certainly don't begrudge him that, but I'm sorry Squall, _you_ as headmaster?" Quistis asked him, shaking her head.

He snorted in reply, "that's exactly what I said when Cid suggested it. I've just gotten to the point where I actually know what I'm doing as commander here and am comfortable with it. But _headmaster_? No. No way am I even close to ready for that, even if I wanted it."

"What about one of the senior instructors? Aren't any of those more qualified?" Quistis asked.

Squall shook his head, "Cid wants the impossible. When I suggested that he look into one of the senior instructors as a successor, he said he wanted someone not so far removed from the field. He _wants_ me…. or someone _like_ me."

Quistis frowned at that statement, and looked up at Squall in shock as she realized what he was getting at. He nodded slightly, confirming what she had just learned.

"We'd both hate to lose you as an instructor Quistis, this last field exam has illustrated brilliantly how good you are. But I think, and Cid agrees, that you'd serve Garden better as its headmaster. You have the perfect combination of field experience, leadership skills and educational credentials to take on this role and I have every confidence that you will perform with your usual excellence." Squall said, watching her intently.

Quistis reached for the cup of water, which Squall obligingly handed to her and she took a long sip to moisten her suddenly dry mouth.

"Why? Squall, I'm no more ready for this than you were when you became commander." Quistis protested.

"You're more ready than you think. And as to _why_ , well, you can always ask Cid. He may even answer you. _I_ think its because he wants someone that's likely to have a long tenure here to keep things going and consistent for as long as possible. Even though we've defeated Ultimecia, it was in _her_ time, not ours. SeeD still has to continue on into her time as well." Squall told her.

"When does he want to do this anyway?" Quistis asked.

"Not immediately. But he _does_ want you to resign from your teaching position here and move into a more administrative role. Which means you'll be working closely with him… and with me." Squall said.

"Squall Leonhart! You want me to quit my job as an instructor and become your _assistant_?" Quistis demanded, voice rising. It wasn't like him to be this underhanded, ordinarily he'd simply ask. The fact that he'd elaborately maneuvered her into becoming his assistant was just…irritating.

Squall held his hand up, protesting, "I promise you Quistis, that's not what this is about. Yes, you'll be helping me out in that capacity, but then so will Xu. Cid wants you in the command structure so he can mentor you in the role of headmaster…think of it as an internship."

"An internship." Quistis stated.

"Yes. If you're to be anyone's assistant, you'd be Cid's." Squall confirmed.

Quistis let out a breath and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against her pillows. She suddenly felt exhausted and twice her age.

Squall sighed, saying, "It's a lot to take in, I know. Just think about it. And by the way Quistis, you _do_ have the option to refuse. Just because both Cid and I think you'd do a good job doesn't mean you have to agree and take it."

Quistis rolled her head over and smiled slightly at him, "Not like you, huh?"

Squall shrugged. "Circumstances were different. This isn't an emergency."

"Well, thank you for that anyway." Quistis said, and then yawned.

"I'd better go and let you rest. I've kept you from it long enough." Squall said, standing.

He'd just about made it to the door when Quistis began, "Squall…"

He paused and turned back to face her, saying, "Quistis, I really want you to think about this first, so I'm not going to press you for a decision, and I won't let Cid do it either."

Quistis swallowed, knowing that he was right, and nodded. "I will."

Squall smiled that rare smile of his and Quistis couldn't help but smile back, feeling the a faint twinge, mostly faded now, that she hadn't been the one to bring that smile out from where it had hidden for so long. Only Rinoa could bring that particular expression to the surface, though it was seen more frequently now since they'd gotten married than it had ever been in the past. Though her initial feelings toward Rinoa had been darkened by a healthy dose of envy, when she'd seen how Squall had responded to her, Quistis had no other choice but to set aside her aching heart and befriend the girl. Knowing as she did how difficult Squall could be, Quistis knew that Rinoa would need a friend to support and encourage her.

Yes, Quistis at one time had hoped to be the one that Squall would turn to; had hoped that patience would win out and he'd finally respond to her. But they were too much alike, and Quistis' approach was not what he needed. So when the chance at real happiness came Squall's way, Quistis would be damned if she'd allow him to pass it up. So yes, at the time she _did_ love him. Whether or not those feelings resulted from a confused jumble of her past childhood feelings, as she'd tried to fill the role left vacant by Ellone's disappearance mixed with her infatuation at the time, or something else, it was irrelevant.

She'd loved him, and wanted him to be happy. It had hurt more than she'd ever admit to realize that she'd never be the one to bring him that happiness. The most bittersweet day of her life was the day she saw how beautiful his smile could be, when it lit up the entire Quad the day he married Rinoa.

Time had changed those feelings now, and the pain that had once accompanied them was long gone. She still loved Squall, though not as she once had, and she loved Rinoa as well. They were part of her family, and she loved them just as she did Zell, Selphie and even Irvine. Like any orphan, she had _chosen_ her family, when no family had come to choose _her_. Perhaps that was why she'd had such a difficult time adapting when she finally _was_ adopted. She already _had_ a family, and had left them behind.

Quistis couldn't help smiling at him as Rinoa came into the room then, slipping her arm briefly around his waist to give him a quick hug. He smiled at her and reached for her hand, squeezing it before smiling apologetically at Quistis.

"I was going to say have a good sleep, but I guess Rinoa's going to just wake you up anyway." He laughed softly as Rinoa shoved him gently toward the door.

"Get back to work Commander. I have things to do here that don't concern you." Rinoa said, attempting to be stern.

"Love you too dear," Squall grinned at her.

Rinoa laughed and reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek, saying, "get out of here. Meanie."

Squall chuckled and retorted, "brat." Then he reached out and pulled her to him, kissing her full on the mouth before finally leaving her breathless.

Quistis couldn't help but laugh, saying, "I think that particular insult has lost its sting Rinoa."

"I think you're right. He always kisses me when I call him a meanie." She replied, approaching Quistis' bed.

"I think it's cute. And so in character. No saccharine pet names like 'schmoopy' or 'luvikins'. He's 'meanie' and you're 'brat'. It fits." Quistis said, prompting Rinoa to burst into uncontrollable laughter at the thought of Squall calling her something silly like "schmoopy".

"You're right," Rinoa said when she'd finally brought herself under control. Taking a deep breath, she gently placed her finger under Quistis' chin, using it to gently move her face to and fro.

"It's nice to see him lighten up like that around you Rinoa. I'd have thought he'd be all stressed and crabby today." Quistis commented.

"Well," Rinoa admitted, "He _was_ , earlier. We uh…sorted it out."

"We? You mean…? Oh!" Quistis said, bursting into laughter. "Goodness, as busy as you both are, how'd you even manage to find the time?"

"We have our ways," Rinoa said, eyes twinkling. "Now, mouth closed please. I'm going to put this salve on your lips, otherwise they'll be bleeding." Quistis obligingly clamped her lips closed so Rinoa could apply the salve.

While dabbing the medication onto Quistis' lips, Rinoa said, "Your skin's healing nicely. And your breathing is clear too." Rinoa's eyes lost focus momentarily before returning their attention to Quistis.

"Your bones have knitted. It looks like all that is left are the burns, and they're about half-healed." Rinoa informed her.

"Well, that's a relief. When do you think I can go home?" Quistis asked her.

"Tomorrow, pending Dr. Kadowaki's assessment of course. For right now, just rest. We can't always do that when using curative magic on the battlefield, but since we aren't and you have the opportunity to do so, I'd take full advantage of it. It'll make things heal better and more quickly in the long run." Rinoa answered her.

Right on cue, Quistis yawned and Rinoa smiled at her, "That's normal, by the way. Until your body catches up. I'll be back later to look in on you."

"All right. See you later Rinoa." Quistis said, laying back and closing her eyes. Sleep claimed her quickly after that.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After leaving Quistis, Nida did as she had suggested and went back to his apartment, showered and slept several refreshing hours. Then, waking up hungry, decided to drive into Balamb for something to eat…. with a side trip on the way back to Garden at the florist's shop.

It was while he was walking back to the infirmary, bouquet of flowers and a bag of Quistis' favorite takeout in hand, that Nida realized that he had forgotten to check in with Squall that day. He didn't think he had anything to do, and figured Squall would have more than enough on his plate without Nida pestering him about what to do next.

Oh, he supposed he should have gone down below and done his usual post flight check, but honestly, waiting a day or so wouldn't hurt anything. By then, Quistis would be healed fully and out of the infirmary.

It occurred to Nida that he might have wasted his time with the takeout food; Quistis may have already eaten dinner. He shrugged inwardly, thinking that if nothing else they could reheat it and eat it tomorrow… _some_ of it at least would still be palatable as leftovers.

Upon reaching the door to her room, he hesitated, wondering if he should knock, before finally shrugging and slowly pushing the door open. He didn't want to wake her if she was asleep. It turned out that she wasn't, and she smiled as Nida playfully held the bouquet of flowers up so that they hid the lower half of his face, eyes twinkling.

"More flowers? They're lovely," she said, feeling her heart fluttering just a little bit.

"And dinner too. I hope you're hungry." He said, holding the bag up as well.

"I am." She said, still smiling.

"Good," he said, approaching her bed and giving her a kiss on her hair. Her skin looked much better, but the burns were still obvious, so Nida was playing it safe.

Handing her the flowers, he added, "I _could_ spout something poetic about the flowers and how they're eclipsed by your radiance but you'd know I was exaggerating. You _do_ look much better though."

Quistis couldn't help it, she had to laugh at that statement, "that was pretty poetic in itself Nida. And thank you for noticing. My latest skincare regimen is obviously paying off."

Nida laughed softly and said, "Indeed it is. So, dinner?" Quistis nodded and he handed her the bag to investigate while he brought the bed table over. Once it was in position, Quistis started laying out the contents of the bag.

Nida finally sat down and they began to eat, with Quistis commenting, "This proves that you love me. Driving all the way into Balamb for my favorite takeout and flowers? _Major_ points for you my dear."

"That was the plan. By the time you get home, you'll be putty in my hands," Nida said, waggling his eyebrows with a wicked grin.

Quistis laughed again, "stop! Please, you're going to have me choking next!" She reached for her drink and took a sip, then dabbed at her still tender lips.

"Sorry. I'll keep the joking to a minimum until we're done eating." Nida said.

"Okay." Quistis smiled at him again. The salve _did_ help the lips, otherwise just as Rinoa had said; they'd have split and bled everywhere. Hardly comfortable when one was trying to eat, and no fun at all when smiling.

Then her smile faded as she thought back to Squall's visit. She was still considering what he'd told her, still weighing her options. She wondered what Nida would think of it.

"So, how are you feeling?" Nida asked her while they ate.

"Much better. Rinoa says the bones have healed; it's just the skin that's left. I should be able to go home tomorrow, unless Dr. Kadowaki says otherwise." Quistis answered.

"I'm glad to hear it. I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to see you awake, alive and smiling; red, peeling face and all." Nida said, smiling gently at her and brushing a lock of hair lightly away from her face.

"I think you just did," Quistis said, then asked in dismay, "my face is peeling?"

"Only a little. It isn't terrible and looks much better than it did yesterday; trust me on this. How are your hands?" Nida replied.

"Okay I guess. They still hurt but not as much, and Rinoa said that they've much improved over when they were first bandaged." Quistis said, studying them briefly before returning her attention to her dinner.

She was actually quite hungry, another side effect of the accelerated healing brought on by the potions she'd been dosed with. The extra energy had to come from _somewhere_. She truly hadn't expected Nida to bring take out to her. She hadn't expected him to do anything at all, really, beyond looking in on her to see how she was doing. And the fact that he'd not only brought her dinner but had actually paid attention and picked from her favorite restaurant, made her fall a little bit more in love with each moment.

"Good." Nida said, then sobered and asked her, "Did anyone tell you about the cadets?"

"Squall did. He told me they all survived," Quistis put her fork down for a moment, blinking tears away. Nida's expression softened and he handed her the box of tissues, prompting her to laugh while dabbing at the corners of her eyes.

"Squall was here?" Nida asked.

"Yes, he came for my recollection of the field exam." Quistis said, and frowned. "They're all going to have to redo it. Without four complete evaluations by the senior SeeDs proctoring the exam, its invalid; nobody can graduate."

Nida grimaced at that, "Tough luck for them." Quistis nodded her agreement.

Then Nida added, "Your cadets sound like they're a tough bunch. They came through that disaster in far better shape than anyone would have believed. They'll handle the next field exam just fine. They're definitely a credit to the training you gave them."

Quistis dropped her gaze to her hands, still wrapped in gauze, still blistered and slathered in healing ointment. Yes, they were much better now than they were yesterday, but they still hurt. Like her heart did. And despite both Squall's and Nida's assertion that the cadets had survived because of her, she couldn't help thinking that she'd forgotten something critical that might have prevented the disaster in the first place.

Finally, she said softly, "Squall said the same thing. Then he asked me to resign my post as an instructor."

Nida stared at her. "Why? I don't understand, you've been doing wonderfully…"

"Both he and Cid want me in the command structure of Garden. I was recommended to replace Cid as headmaster. Eventually, that is." Quistis replied.

Nida's gaze never wavered from her face as he asked her, "is this something you want?"

Quistis looked away for a moment and sighed, "I don't know. I love teaching the cadets; I don't want to simply give it up. But I can't help but think about what I would do as headmaster, the changes I'd make, the students that I'd recommend for SeeD training…You know, stuff like that."

"Squall and Cid aren't pressuring you to decide on it yet, are they?" Nida asked her, frowning.

"No, in fact Squall made it a point to tell me to think about it before I made any decisions. He specifically told me I could refuse if I didn't want to do it." She answered.

"He _would_ say that, wouldn't he?" Nida asked, knowing Squall's history.

"Yeah," Quistis responded, then asked him, "What do you think?"

Nida tilted his head thoughtfully, then answered, "I think you'd do a good job, personally. But whatever you decide Quistis, I'll support you one hundred percent." Smiling at her, he reached over and caressed her hair, adding, "I have to admit though, it'll be nice seeing you on the bridge again. Xu keeps things from getting too boring, but I've missed you."

"You have?" Quistis asked him, smiling.

"Yes, I have." Nida answered her, expression serious.

They finished eating not long after that, and Nida discarded the remains. They spent the remainder of the evening playing Triple Triad, with Quistis finding out much to her surprise that Nida had been the Card King at one point.

They had a great deal of fun, pitting their various strategies against each other, neither winning nor losing against each other consistently. Nida found himself intentionally making stupid maneuvers, knowing she'd catch on and laugh at his silliness. When they tired of playing Triple Triad, they resorted to building a house out of the cards, working together to see how high they could stack them.

When Quistis began blinking and yawning, Nida checked the time and realized that visiting hours were nearly over and Dr. Kadowaki would likely be along soon to shoo him off home.

"I'd better go and let you rest. You look like you're about ready to crash on me." Nida said.

"You're right, I am." Quistis responded, yawning. "See you tomorrow?"

"Count on it." Nida replied. Quistis smiled at him and playfully flicked at the house of cards, collapsing it into its individual parts. Nida deftly gathered them up, stacked them and put them away. Then he leaned forward and gave Quistis a soft kiss on the cheek.

"I love you sweetheart. Sleep well." Nida said, getting up and heading toward the door.

"I love you too Nida. Good night." Quistis smiled at him.


	13. Games People Play

Nida hefted the javelin and narrowed his eyes, gazing out at the field where the other javelins he'd tossed were still embedded in the grass. He set his feet and balanced his weight, then started his run, bringing his arm back, concentrating on his steps and his form. Reaching the end of his approach, he stopped and flung his arm forward, letting his momentum travel up his arm to propel the javelin out and up.

Nida shaded his eyes with his hand and watched its flight critically. His form had been good, the release timed perfectly. The javelin sailed out; Nida's throw propelling it forward more than up. It reached the top of its arc and started to fall toward the earth, spearing itself into the grass well away from even the farthest of the previous throws.

Loping toward it, Nida made a note of the distance and was satisfied at the numbers. It was the best of his throws, and well into qualifying territory if not actually first place, going by the best distances logged by the other competitors scheduled for the next meet. This despite a frustrating lack of time to actually practice his events.

He'd managed to keep in shape at least, and that was the basis of his other events. If he could do nothing else, he could at least run. The last time he'd timed his running events had put him securely in qualifying territory there as well, so he had relatively little to worry about with regard to those events. _Winning_ however, would require a _lot_ more work than Nida had managed to put in up to this point.

Nida began picking up the javelins that he'd tossed, finished with his practice for the day. He'd already been in to see Quistis that morning, and she was due to meet with Dr. Kadowaki shortly and likely would be released to go back home. Squall was still busily analyzing the data he'd gathered regarding the field exam, though he should mostly be finished with that by now. Nida still had not gone down to the MD level in garden and done his post-flight checks, and he knew he couldn't delay that task too much longer, his report on Garden's status was due in to Squall by the end of the week.

He wondered if Squall had managed to do any training himself. He'd need a couple of days to rest and recover from the smoke inhalation, but he should be able to pick it back up eventually and be ready for the second round of qualifiers. Nida was scheduled for the first qualifying meet, which would take place in a week.

Nida stretched and shook out his arms and shoulders, wondering if he had time to try a couple of discus throws as well. He checked his watch and grimaced. He'd have to pick it up again the next morning. He needed to leave and get showered so he could escort Quistis to her apartment before _finally_ starting on his post flight checks. So he brought the gathered javelins back to the starting point, leaving them for the next person in line to practice.

He wandered through the practice field until he found a good spot in the infield and began his cool down. He exhaled with each stretch, paying attention to the gentle pull of tired muscles as he did. Leaning forward over his extended legs, he rested his head upon his knees and held the pose for several breaths, making sure his hamstrings were thoroughly stretched. That finished, he got to his feet and shook his legs and arms out, feeling loose and relaxed.

Putting on the hooded top of his tracksuit, he zipped it up against the still cool weather so as to avoid a chill and started back to Garden. Upon reaching the locker room, he stripped off and showered, thinking about what he was doing next. He'd be getting a late start on his checks, but he'd at least be able to get a sense of what he'd need to do the next day. Besides, there was no way he'd leave Quistis to make her way back to her place by herself. He didn't know why it seemed so important to him to escort her home; he just felt the need to do it.

Shower completed, Nida dried off, dressed and left the locker room, making his way through the gym toward the infirmary. He nodded toward some members of the fencing team that were there, noting idly that they were all suited up but nobody appeared to be doing anything at the moment. They all appeared to be watching a match that was in progress.

The metallic clash of blades startled Nida and he turned toward the sound, frowning. _Those AREN'T foils…_ he thought, making his way through the surprisingly thick throng to see what was going on.

The clashing grew louder and Nida finally made it to a vantage where he could see the match. Sparks flew from the two gunblades that contended against each other, wielded by two masked and anonymous opponents. But Nida knew who they were. He'd seen them contending against each other for _years_ , using the selfsame weapons that were being employed now.

Being a fencer himself, he knew their stances and was familiar with the way they moved. Squall was shorter than Seifer, though that difference in height was difficult to detect with the fencing gear on. But the lithe, panther-like grace that he moved with was impossible to miss, as was Seifer's speed and power as he countered Squall's attacks.

Nida watched them, fascinated. _This_ contest was different than the ones that Nida had been witness to in the past. _Then_ , their rivalry had darkened into actual hatred, and their contests had been deadly serious as a result. The scars they both wore offered concrete proof of that. Now, while there was still a dark edge to their contentions that would likely never fade, it didn't appear that they were actually trying to _kill_ each other. 

Then Nida revised that thought as the blows flew faster and grew potentially more lethal. A guttural curse from one of them, Seifer, Nida thought, followed a lightning fast strike that Squall couldn't quite evade. Crimson stained Squall's sleeve as his counter whistled through the air right at Seifer's neck, and Nida gasped as he saw that the blades were bare and _sharp_. They weren't baited and dull practice gunblades, but actual weapons. Weapons that could kill.

"HOLD!" Nida jumped as Fujin's harsh voice rang out and both fighters froze, with Squall's gunblade resting against Seifer's neck. Fujin stalked toward them both, single eye glaring balefully at the blood that still dripped from Squall's sleeve.

Rinoa appeared at Squall's side, cure spell handy, while Fujin rounded on Seifer and snarled, "FOOL! DISQUALIFIED!" Seifer cursed again and took off his mask.

"Why don't you two take a break? You've been at it for a couple of hours now and you're both getting sloppy." Rinoa added. The blood stopped dripping from Squall's sleeve as she cast cure, healing the cut. Then she handed Squall a water bottle and he tilted the mask up, drinking the water thirstily. Seifer did the same after wiping his face off with a towel that Fujin had handed him.

Nida let out a breath, feeling his heart rate gradually return to normal. The sighs and comments from the other watchers as they dispersed echoed Nida's relief from the intensity of just moments prior. It was almost surreal to watch them both calmly discussing the match as if they hadn't just been trying to kill each other. Nida shook his head as he made his way out of the gym, mind still replaying that scene.

He'd considered trying out for the fencing team and had decided against it. Not because he couldn't qualify or win, he was considered to be one of the best swordsmen in Garden. No, it was because he preferred the track and field events. He derived more enjoyment from competition in that direction.

_Gunblade_ fencing was something entirely different however, as Nida had seen. It was more intense, more challenging, and infinitely more dangerous than conventional fencing. Nida had tried the gunblade before settling on just a regular sword, and he knew how heavy they were. How awkward the balance between sword and gun was.

And yet both Seifer and Squall were able to exercise such precise command of their respective weapons that a full-force blow could be checked within a hair of lethality. Nida realized that gunblade fencing was as much about form and technique as it was about power and control. The sheer _strength_ it required to exercise such control and stop such a heavy weapon with as much force behind it as Nida had seen was nothing short of awesome.

Of course if it came down to a bet between Seifer and Squall as to who had the better handle on his weapon, Nida's money was on Squall. He'd stopped his gunblade just short of decapitating Seifer without even leaving a scratch on his neck, while Seifer's touch dripped blood onto the floor.

Nida arrived at the infirmary still bemused by the contest he'd witnessed. That was quickly forgotten however as he arrived at Quistis' room and saw her dressed and ready to go.

"I take it Dr. Kadowaki said you're cleared to go back to work, right?" he asked her, smiling. She was attired in her uniform, a clean one he'd brought from her apartment for her the previous day, along with some _other_ things he'd felt decidedly odd about fetching for her.

She smiled back, feeling much better for the clean clothing, answering, "She did. And I feel a hundred percent better. I can't wait to go back home."

She approached him then and slid her arms around his waist, leaning into him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, happy beyond measure to be able to do that again. He gazed down at her face, at her now healed lips and almost completely healed skin, and wanted nothing more than to kiss her until they both forgot to breathe.

"I can't wait to get you back home either," Nida said with a smile.

Quistis laughed as they both turned toward the door and Nida opened it for her, holding it while she went through, then following her and draping his arm around her again.

"Don't you have work to do?" Quistis asked him as they walked out of the infirmary toward the dormitories. Nida left his arm around her, not caring who saw or what conclusions they drew from it. Quistis either did not notice or didn't care.

"Yes, I do. And right after I've escorted you home, I plan on getting at least a start on it." Nida answered her.

"You know, you don't _have_ to escort me home," Quistis observed.

"I know I don't." Nida said, adding, "Time spent with you is never wasted, sweetheart."

Quistis smiled, "careful. Keep talking like that and I'll never let you leave."

They arrived at her door moments later and she unlocked it and went inside, with Nida following her.

Closing the door behind them, he approached and took her into his arms again, saying, "That's very tempting, but I really do need to do some work today. I have a status report due by the end of this week."

Quistis sighed, resting her head briefly on his chest and hugging him close before saying, "You're right of course, you need to get that finished and turned in to Squall. Call me when you're done? I'd like some company for dinner."

"Count on it." Nida said softly, tilting her face up and kissing her gently.

He pulled back and stroked his finger along her cheek, mindful of the still-healing skin's sensitivity, and brushed it lightly over her hair. She hadn't yet had time to deal with the damage done by the fire, instead simply brushing it and pulling it back into a clip.

Finally he said, "I'll see you later. I love you."

"I love you too Nida. Be careful down there." Quistis replied.

"I will." Nida said, pulling her into another embrace and kissing her forehead gently before leaving.

Quistis sighed, watching him go. Then she went into her bathroom and studied her reflection in the mirror, pulling her hair out of the clip and sighing again in dismay. She'd have to get it cut; there was no other option with the type of damage her hair had suffered. How _much_ would have to be cut would be determined once her hairdresser had a look at it.

Picking up her phone, she called and made an appointment for the next day. Then she gazed around her apartment, momentarily at a loss on what to do next. Squall had told her he didn't expect her back to work immediately; instead wanting her to mull over her options and report to him first.

She'd never considered how _boring_ it was to have nothing to do. Then her stomach rumbled, reminding her that it was midday and she'd yet to eat lunch. Okay. So, lunch then.

Quistis grabbed her keys and left the apartment, headed toward the cafeteria.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Getting rather a late start on this, aren't you?" Kris asked as he followed Nida into the lift.

"Yeah, well, it couldn't be helped." Nida answered, punching the button to start the lift heading down to the MD level.

"How's Quistis doing?" Kessia asked as the elevator began to move.

"Fine. Dr. Kadowaki released her today." Nida told her.

"Well, that's good to hear. I'm glad she's feeling better." Kessia said.

"So am I." Nida replied.

"I notice we're kind of light on crew today. What are we doing then?" Kris asked.

"Well, really just get a quick look for right now. See if there's anything that might need a closer look tomorrow. So pretty much just a standard post-flight check." Nida said. The elevator pinged, announcing their arrival to the lowest level of Garden, and they all readied their weapons and double-checked their junctions.

Nida had waffled a bit on that, having just dropped his junctions for training. Suddenly having to pick them back up again to go down into the sublevels once more worried him a bit. He wondered what kind of an impact, if any, it would have on his training. He finally decided to junction Diablos one more time so as to make his work go faster. With any luck, they could complete the post-flight check tomorrow and Nida could present his report to Squall the next day.

Upon emerging from the elevator, Nida went straight to the power core and pulled up its status screen. He spent the next several minutes scrolling through the information that came up, then logged out and closed down the program.

Readying his sword, he looked back at Kessia and Kris and said, "Okay, I'm gonna just go down the checklist, and whatever we don't get to today we'll finish up tomorrow."

"All right." Kris nodded.

"We'll keep an eye out." Kessia added.

"Good." Nida said, moving on to the water treatment systems. The filtration system was fine, ph levels were good, and the desalination tanks were working as designed and at their usual capacity. Nida made a note of it on the clipboard he was carrying.

He continued from there to the wastewater section. _That_ part, while unpleasant, was still masterfully designed by the shumis. Through a series of filters and bio-activators, the water was cleansed and released back out into the ocean. The resulting solid waste was somehow composted for use in the quad. Nida had read through the specs on how it all worked, and still scratched his head at some of it.

After working steadily, Nida checked his watch and was surprised to note that it had passed six. Scanning his checklist, he was surprised at the amount of work he'd managed to get done. So far, everything checked out fine and he was confident that the rest of it would be fine as well. He'd check it anyway tomorrow and turn in a thorough report to Squall the following day.

"Guys? Let's knock off for the night and pick this up tomorrow morning." Nida said, starting to put his tools away.

"All right. What time do you want us here?" Kris asked him.

Nida frowned thoughtfully, then answered, "Make it nine-thirty. I need to work out a bit on the discus and shot-put."

"Okay." Kris nodded, and followed Nida to the elevator.

As they filed in and Nida punched the button to take them back to the main floor, Kessia asked him, "So what are your plans for the rest of the evening?"

"Dinner with Quistis." Nida answered. Kessia smiled and Kris chuckled.

"Not surprising." Kris grinned at him.

"It's good she's back home, isn't it?" Kessia said softly.

Nida sighed and leaned against the back wall of the lift as it ascended and sighed, "Yeah, it is." It wasn't as though Quistis had been gone all that long, really. That wasn't the point. Even that briefest of moments while she had been recovering, her absence had been keenly felt. And Nida hadn't liked thinking about Quistis being in danger and possibly getting hurt, or worse. No SeeD liked thinking about those kinds of things. There were those who thought it invited bad luck.

He wouldn't presume to tell Quistis how to manage her life or her career, but he'd already hinted to her of his feelings on the subject. Quite honestly, he had indeed missed working with her, and if doing so again kept her mostly out of harms way, he certainly had no problem with it. The final decision of course would be hers, and Nida would support her whatever she decided to do.

The elevator pinged, signaling its arrival at the main floor, and the doors whooshed open.

Nida, Kris and Kessia all left the elevator, with Kessia saying, "I'm gonna hit the cafeteria guys, so I'll see you tomorrow." She split off from them then, headed in the direction of the cafeteria.

Nida and Kris continued toward the dorms, with Kris saying, "I'm going to see if Alex is busy. Give Quistis a hug for us, will you? Let her know we were thinking about her."

"I will, thanks Kris." Nida said. Kris nodded and turned down the corridor leading to his friend's dorm.

Nida continued the rest of the way to Quistis' room alone, not really thinking about anything other than spending time with her. Concerns about his work, and about training for the SeeD games and the upcoming meet, were laid aside for the moment.

He knocked on the door upon reaching it, and she opened it with a smile, saying, "Excellent timing Nida. Dinner's just done."

"Good. What are we having?" Nida asked, entering at her silent invite and giving her a hug and a quick kiss. "Kris and Kessie send their regards by the way."

Quistis smiled again, warmed by the sentiment, and said, "Send them my thanks in return."

"I will." Nida followed as she took his hand and led him into the dining room, reminding her, "You didn't answer my question. What are we having?"

"Well," Quistis sighed, "as much as I would love to impress you with my culinary skill, unfortunately I hadn't a thing to cook, and no real time to shop and get it all together. So, I ordered out. Seaside Café. My treat this time, since you provided me dinner yesterday."

"It was my pleasure," Nida smiled down at her.

"Mine as well." Quistis smiled back.

A slow grin spread over Nida's face at that response and he said, "It will be, if you like."

Quistis laughed softly at that and replied, "Let's eat dinner first."

Two places had already been set at Quistis' small dining table, and a bottle of beer each sat next to the plates. Quistis served them both and sat down, with Nida stealing a kiss on her cheek as he helped push her chair in before taking his place opposite her.

Picking up the beer and taking an appreciative sip, Nida said, "No wine this time?"

"No. I was in the mood for beer, and it goes better with this meal anyway." Quistis replied, taking a sip of her own and starting on her dinner.

"I agree." Nida said, beginning to eat as well. Quistis had thoughtfully ordered grilled sea bass with steamed vegetables, rather than the greasy fried fish the café specialized in. While one of his favorite treats, he was training and as a result had to pay close attention to his diet. Likewise with the beer, which was of a lower calorie variety.

Of course, with the type of activities that Nida was engaging in, the problem wasn't so much with _reducing_ his caloric intake but balancing his increased energy expenditure with the proper nutrition to support it. He actually needed to eat _more_ , but it needed to be the right mixture of proteins and carbohydrates.

"So, how was your day today?" Nida asked her.

"Boring." Quistis answered. "Selphie and Irvine are off somewhere and Rinoa was busy. I'm still on leave from my classes officially, so there really wasn't anything for me to do but putter around my apartment. And think. What about you?"

"Worked on the javelin this morning, after my run. Did good too, farthest throw yet." Nida told her.

"Really? How far?" Quistis asked, interested.

"Eighty meters. It's half a meter from the best throw recorded and well into pre-qualifying territory." Nida answered.

"Great! Do you feel ready for the meet? It's just a few days from now." Quistis asked.

Nida frowned, pausing to take another sip of his beer. "I don't know. I haven't had the time to work on my shot or discus really, and those are where I'm weakest. And I have to place at least fourth in all of my events to qualify for the decathlon."

"I think you'll do fine. You're certainly dead fit, that's for sure." Quistis said, admiringly.

Nida grinned at her and shrugged, "well, if nothing else, I've at least made time to run, and that's the bulk of my events."

"You're strongest on the track, aren't you?" Quistis asked him.

He nodded, "Yeah, I am. Out of the whole team I think the only one that can outrun me is Squall, and _he's_ running the marathon."

Quistis laughed softly, "Even as part of a team he's still going for the solo event."

Nida shrugged, "It's his nature. I need to talk to him about that though, see where he is on his training. I don't think he's even managed a time trial yet."

"Well, if I know Squall, he might just win on guts and cussedness." Quistis commented.

Nida chuckled, "He might at that. I saw him and Seifer sparring by the way. They were going at it this morning like they were trying to kill each other."

Quistis sighed, "Still trying to figure out who's better. Things have toned down a bit between them but they haven't completely outgrown their rivalry I guess."

"Well, if you judge on sheer power and precise control, the winner would be Squall. If you go by technique, believe it or not, Seifer has the edge. They're pretty evenly matched though, it could go either way if they faced off in competition." Nida said.

Then he smiled at her and reached for her hand, taking it gently in his and examining the now healed skin, saying, "I'm sure you don't want to hear me going on all night about sports. Your skin's healed nicely, by the way."

Quistis smiled back and replied, "I don't mind. It's an occupational hazard when you're dating an athlete. And as it happens, I love track and field."

Nida brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently, eyes twinkling, and said, "thank you for that. I was beginning to worry that I'd bore you with all the sports talk. But now, it's your turn. Tell me: what were you thinking about?"

Giving in to temptation, Quistis reached out and caressed Nida's cheek. His hand pressed hers against his cheek and he leaned into it, then turned and kissed the palm.

Swallowing, she withdrew her hand and wrapped her arms around herself, answering, "About being headmaster. About quitting teaching and taking that internship position that Squall and Cid are offering me."

"And?" Nida prompted, striving not to pressure her but very much interested in what her decision might be.

"I want to do it, but I don't want to quit teaching. It's too much a part of who I am, and I love doing it. Even Squall said he'd hate to lose me as an instructor." Quistis said.

"Maybe you could just cut back to part time, upperclassmen only. You'd still have your students, while being able to do your other duties as well. And I know for a fact that any help you can give Squall would be greatly appreciated, especially now." Nida reasoned.

Quistis nodded thoughtfully, "It would at that. And I know Xu would be more than willing to help out as well."

"She would indeed." Nida confirmed.

Quistis sighed and seeing that they'd finished eating, stood and began clearing the leftovers and dishes away, saying, "I'll see if I can talk to Squall about it in the morning. See what he says."

Nida joined her as she placed the dishes in the sink and ran the water, sliding his arms around her from behind and kissing her behind the ear. She giggled softly as his breath tickled her. She leaned into his warmth, welcoming his embrace.

"Need some help?" he asked her.

"I won't refuse it. There isn't much to wash, but it'll get done faster with the both of us." She answered, pulling on a pair of latex gloves to protect her still sensitive hands. Nida tightened his arms around her briefly and kissed her cheek, then released her and came around to her side, taking the dishtowel she handed him.

Plunging her hands into the hot soapy water, Quistis asked him, "So, I'm guessing you've got a busy day planned tomorrow?"

"You could say that. Up at the crack of dawn to run, then work my ass off on the shot and discus, and maybe try and fit in some strength training before I head back to the MD level to finish up my checklist and turn my report in to Squall." Nida answered, drying the dishes as Quistis washed and rinsed them.

"Well, don't hurt yourself. You've just got a few days until the meet." Quistis cautioned him.

Glancing over at her, Nida asked, "Are you going to be there?"

Quistis smiled, "Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Nida smiled back, "Thank you."

The dishes were finished on short order and Quistis drained the sink and pulled off her gloves. Then she clasped her hands together in front of her, looking down for a moment and feeling just a little awkward.

Sighing, she said, "I'm guessing you're going to want to go home early, you know, so you can get enough rest…"

Nida simply raised one eyebrow and said, "Or we could just go to bed early and I'll leave from here." He slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her close.

"You just want me to give you a massage," Quistis said, pretending to pout. Nida smiled down at her and leaned close until his lips were just a breath away from hers.

"You're right. You did such a good job of it last time; I'm dying for another." Nida replied, and then offered, "If you like, I'll return the favor."

Quistis licked her lips, eyes fixed on Nida's mouth, just inches away from her own. "Deal." She murmured softly before leaning forward and meeting his lips with her own. Her eyes drifted shut as his lips slid over hers and he pressed her close against his body. They lost each other in the taste and texture of their kiss, Quistis drifting in a sensual haze, her whole being caught up in the process of kissing and being kissed.

They separated briefly for air, and Quistis smiled at Nida and said, "Go get naked and meet me in my bedroom."

Nida grinned back and rested his forehead against hers and said, "Yes ma'am."

He left her then to do as she'd directed him to do, with Quistis joining him a few minutes later wearing a lovely white silk robe and little else. Nida rested his chin on his crossed arms and sighed as Quistis began rubbing the warmed oil into his back with long strokes.

As hard as Nida would be working over the next few days and weeks as he prepared for the SeeD games, Quistis anticipated doing this service for him quite a lot. She didn't mind though, she loved the feel of her hands sliding over his smooth skin, kneading into the hard muscle beneath. While she wasn't a professionally trained massage therapist, Nida's appreciation of her ministrations left her feeling that she wasn't doing too badly with it.

Feeling the tight and knotted muscles in Nida's shoulders and neck, Quistis concentrated her efforts there, rubbing firmly with her thumbs up the back of his neck, smiling at the low rumble of pleasure he made. He sighed deeply as Quistis kept working away at the tension in his body, and gradually relaxed.

He'd nearly fallen asleep by the time she finished. Even working down his front left him in an odd state of sensual relaxation. He couldn't help but appreciate the view that Quistis afforded him in the brief robe she wore, and he smiled at her.

"Thank you. Now it's your turn. Drop the robe and lay down." He said, shifting to sit on the edge of the bed and make room for Quistis.

"You don't have to…" Quistis began, and Nida snorted in reply.

"Are you seriously going to pass on a massage performed by a sexy naked guy who just happens to love the hell out of you?" Nida asked her with a grin.

Quistis couldn't help but laugh, "When you put it that way, then no, definitely not."

Nida joined her laughter, getting up and putting a daub of oil onto his hands and rubbing them together to warm them.

Gently stroking his hands up her back, Nida said softly, "Good. I've been dying to get my hands on you all day." Then he added suggestively, "If you're nice, we can finish this up with a bang."

Quistis laughed softly at his innuendo, then sighed as his light strokes grew firmer and he added a bit more oil to allow his hands to slide smoothly over her skin. She moaned softly as he worked on her shoulders and back where she was the most tense.

He worked her over like she worked him, and she fancied herself gradually melting into a puddle of goo as his warm, strong hands banished any hint of tension in her body. She closed her eyes and just drifted, giving herself up to his touch.

To his credit (impressing Quistis mightily) Nida confined his activities to simply massaging every inch of her body, doing nothing else. Until he'd finished that was, leaving Quistis both relaxed and adrift in a sensual fog. Then his touch became more purposeful, his caresses accompanied by soft kisses.

Despite his aching arousal, Nida couldn't help but enjoy the sight of Quistis' beautiful body lying naked and gleaming with oil on her bed. She opened her eyes, the cerulean depths beckoning him to drown in them as she reached a hand out toward him.

"Come here and quit teasing me." She smiled slowly, threading her fingers through his and tugging, gently urging him to join her on the bed. She shifted to give him room, and he stretched out next to her, stroking his hand along her side and pulling her against him.

He kissed her deeply and whispered, "Sorry, I was busy staring at you."

Quistis reached down between their bodies, taking him in hand and starting to stroke, prompting him to gasp. "I seem to remember a certain ending you offered me," she whispered, smiling as he swallowed audibly.

He rolled her over and settled himself on top of her, kissing her again and murmuring, "Well then, I'd hate to disappoint you…" then he slid himself into her slick heat, swallowing her soft moan with another kiss.

The sensual, languid mood continued as they made love, wrapped up in each other and in the moment. Nida kept his movements smooth, building the intensity slowly while watching Quistis' responses. Heat rose and passion took over; Quistis' moans and sighs, her nails raking lightly down his back, urging him on. He increased his pace, heart pounding in time with his strokes, lungs starving for air as he brought Quistis with him to the brink. When the tension between them built to a painful intensity, when Quistis came apart in his arms with a shuddering moan, clutching at him convulsively, Nida's own release came and left him groaning.

He came to rest lying limply on top of Quistis, panting and sweaty. She ran her fingers gently through his hair and he smiled down at her, kissing her softly.

"I could so get used to this," Quistis smiled back.

"Likewise." Nida replied breathlessly, moving to lie down next to her. She shifted to cuddle close to him, resting her head on his chest, caressing it lightly. His arm came around her and he kissed the top of her head.

They simply rested together, soaking up the moment, listening to each other's heartbeat. Quistis was more than happy to go to bed early if it meant she got time of this quality with Nida. Things were going to get immensely busy for them both; Nida would be dividing his time between training for the games and his duties in Garden. Likewise with Quistis, who was determined to continue with her teaching duties in some capacity as she began her internship in the command structure of Garden.

She yawned quietly, prompting Nida to ask her softly, "Tired?"

"Little bit," she admitted.

He sighed then, "actually, so am I. Shall we turn in then?"

"Yeah." Quistis answered, and they both got up and prepared for bed.

They cuddled together under the covers once their preparations were completed, with Nida giving Quistis a soft kiss on her head as she pillowed it on his chest once again.

"If I haven't mentioned it yet in the last oh, half hour or so, thank you for the massage. I've had professionals that hadn't done nearly as good a job." Nida commented drowsily.

Quistis frowned and raised her head to peer at him, asking, " _Professionals?_ "

Nida chuckled quietly at her tone, knowing she had leaped to the wrong conclusion, and clarified, "Masseuses, sweetheart. Licensed massage therapists. They do wonders for sore, tight muscles, and I know more than a few SeeDs that take advantage of them."

Quistis laughed quietly, embarrassed at getting the wrong idea and being caught at it.

Finally she said, "thank you. You're not too bad at it yourself."

Nida yawned then and reached over to turn out the light on Quistis' bed table, replying, "Thank you. Good night sweetie. I love you." He caressed her cheek gently in the dark, using his touch to guide his lips to hers and give her a soft kiss.

"Good night Nida. I love you too." Quistis replied, her eyes drifting closed.


	14. What Makes You Stronger

Quistis debated with herself on when she should see Squall to tell him of what she'd decided regarding his offer. She was all set to go the very next morning after Nida left to start his workout, but one look at her damaged hair had her deciding to wait until after she'd seen her hairdresser and had the damage dealt with.

Nida had generously given her Sally's keys so that Quistis wouldn't have to walk into Balamb, and she had an enjoyable drive there and back. And truthfully, the looks the sports car garnered while she was in Balamb were pretty fun to see as well.

The results of her salon visit were fortunately less drastic than Quistis had feared. Yes, her stylist had shortened her hair a bit to remove the damaged part, but he'd managed to keep an approximation of her normal style with a few modifications to disguise where he'd had to cut, layering it attractively around her face.

"So," The stylist asked as he put the finishing touches on his handiwork, "Did you finally buy yourself a car? That's one sweet ride you tooled up in."

"Oh, no, that's my boyfriend's car." Quistis answered without thinking.

" _Boyfriend?_ Since when?" The stylist came around to face her and folded his arms. "Girl, you got to spill it! Is he as hot as his car?"

Quistis couldn't help it, she laughed, blushing furiously, "Oh, Anton!"

Anton laughed at her reaction; chocolate brown eyes sparkling, and said, "He's got to be a hottie to get your attention, 'cause I _know_ you ain't been dating much." He leaned against the shelf in front of the mirror, arms still folded across his muscular chest.

Quistis sighed, smile fading and admitted, "no, not since…since Sean…"

"I saw that smile on your face when you came in. Sweet thing, if your boyfriend put that smile there, then he's got to be a good guy. Is he a SeeD?" Anton asked her.

Quistis hesitated. She'd been afraid to speak of her relationship with Nida early on because she was afraid to jinx it. Plus, she didn't like discussing her private life, particularly when it had gotten so sordid during the whole Sean affair. But Anton was different. He'd been her stylist for ages now, it seemed, and his easy manner and light touch made it easy to share confidences with him that she couldn't with anyone else.

He was so totally unique an individual that he defied categorization. A big, brawny bodybuilder with cocoa colored skin, flashing white teeth and a handsome, chiseled profile, he could cut and style hair like a dream and gossip with the best of them. More than a few of his clients had developed crushes on him, only to be disappointed to learn he was gay.

"Yes," Quistis answered, still blushing brightly. "He's a SeeD. And he's much, _much_ hotter than his car!"

"Well, it's about damn time! I kept telling you to stick with what you know, and you kept messing around with boys that had no chance of understanding you. Another SeeD would get it. I'm glad you finally found someone nice." Anton declared.

"What makes you think he's nice? What if I'm just using him for his body?" Quistis challenged, eyebrow raised.

Anton laughed; shaking his head and making the beads on his braids click together. "Because I know you're not like that."

Quistis smiled and sighed, "You're right, I'm not. And he _is_ nice." Reaching for her purse, she added, "What do I owe you Anton? You've outdone yourself this time."

"Put that away! It's on me today." Anton said firmly.

"But…" Quistis protested, to be interrupted by the stylist, who said, "Baby girl, you ain't the only SeeD that comes in here. I heard about what you did to get your hair wrecked like that."

"I…see…But, Anton..." Quistis tried again.

He waved away her protest, saying, "If it makes you feel better, I'll charge you more next time you come in. Or you can give me an extra generous tip. Your call. But in my book, anyone who's brave enough, and _crazy_ enough, to go toe to toe with a wildfire to save a bunch of kids deserves a break at the very least. And I don't care how tough your commander is, if he don't give you a commendation for this, I'm gonna kick his ass sideways!"

Quistis couldn't help laughing at the image that gave her, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'll um, pass on the message." She smiled.

The stylist smiled back, and said with a wink, "Next time you're in here, try an' trot your boyfriend by so I can get a look at his studly self. And if he's got any single friends on my side of the fence, send 'em my way. Them SeeD boys is just too hot for words!"

"I can't guarantee I can get my boyfriend in to meet you, but I'll try. And I'll ask if he's got any single friends that would find you interesting." Quistis assured him.

"Thank you," he grinned whitely at her. "I gotta say Quistis, I always thought you was the ballsiest chick I ever met. Give me the shivers, and girls don't usually do it for me. I'll bet you rock that boy's world!"

Quistis shrugged with an embarrassed smile and said, "Well, I hope so. He certainly rocks mine!"

"I'm glad for you." Anton said sincerely. "You have yourself a good day now."

"You too, Anton. And thanks again." Quistis said.

Quistis smiled to herself as she left the salon, wondering what Nida would make of Anton. Considering that at least one of his friends was gay, she supposed that he was fairly open-minded, though fortunately for her, very definitely straight.

Before returning to Garden, Quistis took the opportunity to do a bit of long-overdue shopping. She found herself considering not only what she liked and wanted, but what Nida might like as well. She couldn't assume that they'd be spending _every_ evening together; they both had very busy lives. Nor could she assume that she'd be the one cooking dinner for him every night, though to be honest, she wouldn't mind it if she did.

That thought gave her reason to pause as she perused the available wines in the liquor section of Balamb's local market. Quistis had always prided herself on her independence, and had striven to relate to the men in her life as equals, even the men that she had dated. For some, that might have been intimidating, but for others, it was very alluring.

Certainly for the SeeDs and cadets that saw her every day in Balamb Garden and elsewhere (imagine her surprise to learn that there were now chapters of the Quistis Trepe Fan Club in Galbadia, Trabia, Dollet and Esthar) it was a powerful attractant.

But in all of the relationships that she'd had, and truthfully, there weren't all that many; she'd never once had the desire to be, in a word, _domestic_. Yes, Quistis could cook, and she enjoyed it, despite the fact that she often didn't have time or really, the inclination to cook just for herself. There seemed to be little point to doing that when a quick trip to the cafeteria or failing that, something pulled from the freezer and microwaved would suffice.

Things were different now. Different in a lot of ways; the way that Nida had courted her, the way they simply enjoyed each other's company…. Perhaps it was still that first flush of love that was coloring her thought process and making her _want_ to spend as much time with him as possible. Making her want to…do silly things like put on her goofy pink apron and cook him dinner, or give him a massage to help his sore, aching muscles after a hard days' work. Perhaps, in time, they'd fall back into the rhythm that she had with her other beaus; takeout dinners, the occasional date and overnight stay, the odd, mutually satisfying but quick visit midweek…. but she didn't think so.

She _liked_ making him feel good, and she enjoyed touching and caressing his body. She liked making him smile, liked impressing him with her ability to cook. It wasn't about being a traditionalist and falling into the role that women had been relegated to for time out of mind, far from it. It was about taking care of and supporting someone that had, in an astoundingly short amount of time, become very dear to her. And receiving in return that same loving care from him… _and allowing herself to accept it_ … something that she realized had been missing in all of her previous relationships.

Smiling to herself, Quistis selected a nice wine, and then added a six-pack of Nida's favorite brand of beer. Why not? Even if he didn't spend every evening with her, or she with him, she already knew that they would do their best to spend as much time together as possible. At the end of a long day, sharing a cold beer or a nice glass of wine with someone you love was perfection itself.  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After Quistis arrived back at Garden and put her purchases away, she changed into her uniform, checked her reflection and smiled at the result. Confidence buoyed by her neat and attractive new hairstyle, she put on her glasses and started toward Squall's office.

During the brief elevator ride to the second floor, she thought about what she would say to him in answer to his offer. When it pinged its arrival, she got off and nearly ran into a flustered Xu, who was scurrying down the hallway with a sheaf of papers in her hand.

"Oh!" She gasped. "Quistis, I have to warn you. If you're going to see Squall, he's…. in a mood."

"What mood?" Quistis asked warily.

"I guess negotiations with the clients that hired us for that field exam aren't going well. I think, anyway. All I know is that he just about bit me in half a minute ago." Xu said.

"Oh," Quistis said, sighing. Squall wasn't usually irascible. He tended to get cold when he got angry, so if he'd been pushed far enough to actually _snap_ at people, then he was having a rough day indeed.

"Lucky for you, you brought your whip. You'll need it." Xu quipped.

Quistis hesitated, wondering if she should come back later when things had calmed down. Certainly if Squall's temper was _that_ touchy, a discussion of her future plans might be better off delayed a bit. Then she shrugged mentally, thinking that she'd handled any number of nasty monsters in the past. Squall having a bad day couldn't be any worse than those.

Besides, it sounded like he could use some help. Maybe she could lend a hand.

"Well, I guess I'd better see if maybe I can help. Sounds like he needs it." Quistis said.

"Couldn't hurt, certainly." Xu said, shrugging. Then she added, "I Like the new hairstyle by the way, looks very nice. How's Anton?"

"Big, buff and beautiful, as always. And still dreaming of a SeeD boy of his very own." Quistis answered, prompting Xu to laugh. A muffled expletive from the direction of Squall's office prompted them both to stare at each other.

"Uh, I'd better get this to Cid." Xu said, tapping the papers against her palm. "Take it easy Quistis… and… good luck." She turned and continued on her way.

Quistis sighed, watching her go, then turned and headed determinedly to Squall's office. It was ominously quiet as she approached the door, and she wondered if Squall had managed to settle himself down a bit.

Taking a deep breath, and telling herself that facing a herd of berserk-spelled t-rexaurs was actually _worse_ , Quistis knocked on the door and nearly jumped when it was snatched open immediately.

"Xu, I told you…" Squall paused and blinked, then said, "Quistis."

"I originally came up here to tell you what I'd decided regarding your offer, but it's pretty obvious you're having a rough day. Is there anything I can do to help?" Quistis asked. Squall frowned slightly, then silently opened the door wider and invited her in.

"Unless you can knock some sense into the governor-general of Timber and the Duke of Dollet, not really." Squall grumbled, crossing his office, rounding his desk and plopping gracelessly into his chair.

"I'm guessing you gave them the results of your investigation on the field exam and it wasn't received well?" Quistis asked.

"No," Squall answered, glaring darkly at his phone. "I took full responsibility of course, gave them all the facts and even conceded to refund half of the fee. _Half._ They want it all and I'm not giving it to them."

Quistis nodded, "no reason you should. We still captured a number of subjects, and accomplished most of our objectives, at the cost of two of our best people."

"Exactly." Squall said. "They don't seem to understand that simple fact however."

Quistis approached his desk and sat down in one of the seats facing it, commenting, "You're obviously more intimidating in person. Perhaps you should pay them a visit."

"I may have to," Squall growled. He hated negotiating with clients in person, hated the whole dance with its protocols, social niceties and the frustrating back and forth bullshit that went along with it.

But just because he hated the game didn't mean that he couldn't play it, and play it well. He approached such negotiations like it was a psychological chess game, and went in armed accordingly. He could do protocol, he could even do civility if he had to. He would _not_ however suck up and kiss ass, no matter _what_ title the person held and how much gil they were worth. He'd leave _that_ part to Cid. He was much better at it.

"Make sure Lion Heart is polished and sharpened. That never fails to impress people." Quistis said, tongue firmly in cheek. Squall snorted slightly at that.

"Negotiations _do_ tend to go better when I bring my gunblade. Wonder why?" he asked. Quistis laughed softly at his wry comment.

Then he shook himself mentally, shoving his mood aside for the moment, and focused on Quistis, saying, "Okay, you've listened to me bitch long enough. What did you decide about the headmaster thing?"

"I want to do it," Quistis answered. "But I don't want to quit teaching, at least not completely. Not yet, anyway. And if I'm going to be acting in part as your assistant, I might as well start now."

Squall held his hand up, stopping her. "Wait on that. We really should have Cid in on the discussion and hash out details on how you want to do this. It's no secret that I really do need the help, and you've been a lot of help with the assistant search, which by the way I haven't completely given up on. I can't monopolize your time, you'll have more than enough to do without me adding to it."

Quistis raised her eyebrows, amused, saying, "I thought that was the whole point of asking me to do this in the first place."

"Well, it isn't." Squall stated.

"That's nice to know, but the fact remains that you appear to be slightly overwhelmed at the moment. I'd be more than willing to help you sort out your schedule." Quistis offered.

"I've got a handle on it." Squall said.

"Do you? What about training for the SeeD games? What about this situation with Dollet and Timber? How are you going to work out the time off to go over there and deal with that while still keeping up with things here? Have you even managed a time trial for your marathon yet? I know Dr. Kadowaki cleared you or you wouldn't have been trying to take Seifer apart yesterday." Quistis asked him.

"You heard about that, huh?" Squall asked her, and she nodded.

"I heard it's even more interesting to watch. I may have to check it out the next time you two spar." Quistis commented.

"We can only do it once or twice a week. Any more frequently and we…. well, we get carried away." Squall admitted.

"I heard that too." Quistis said with a smile. Squall smirked slightly at that then sighed, raking his fingers through his hair.

"I don't know about the rest of it Quistis, I've been running in the mornings but…" Squall began, and then the phone on his desk rang. Insistently.

Glaring angrily at it he growled, "If it's that Goddamned Duke again…"

"Maybe I should send Rinoa up with some lunch later? Time with her usually helps you when you're stressed." Quistis suggested delicately, prompting Squall to turn his glare onto her.

"Don't." He said shortly. "She isn't feeling well." Then he directed his attention to the phone and answered it with a curt "Leonhart."

Quistis shifted, preparing to stand up, but Squall raised his hand and stopped her, shaking his head slightly. So Quistis settled back into her seat and waited as he spoke into the phone.

Obviously, he didn't have a problem with her listening in as he responded to the indistinct voice, "Yes, general, I had the report faxed directly to your office."

Squall frowned slightly at the general's response, then replied, "Thank you sir, I tried to be as thorough as possible, not only for your benefit but for mine as well. Right. Well, I'm glad that _you_ understand that at least." Here Squall fidgeted slightly, then stilled as he listened intently to the voice on the other end of the line.

Quistis paid scant attention to what Squall was talking to the general about, deciding that if it were at all pertinent he'd fill her in on the details, and wondered instead at his short response that Rinoa wasn't well. If Rinoa was ill that could certainly explain Squall's less than amenable temper. Adding concern for his wife's health certainly couldn't have helped his stress level at all. Perhaps she'd stop by later and see how Rinoa was doing.

"Please keep me apprised of that situation sir. If further action is necessary we'll work with you on the best way to deal with it." Squall was saying, preparing to end the call.

After listening for another minute or so, Squall said, "Well, you have my number, so when you have more intelligence to provide, give me a call. Thank you general."

Squall hung up the phone and Quistis tilted her head inquiringly at him, prompting him to tell her, "General DeVray. High commander of Dollet's army. If he can't convince the Duke that we acted in good faith, nobody can."

"Do you still think you'll need to go up there in person?" Quistis asked him.

Squall shrugged, answering, "maybe. Depends on how much trouble those remaining renegades continue to cause Dollet."

"Not Timber though?" Quistis asked him.

Squall shook his head, "No. Timber's problems with those criminals are over. They're just mad that we didn't capture their public enemy number one so that they could try him publicly. And I guess they're having some snags in extraditing some of the guys we did capture back to Timber from Dollet. Naturally, all of this is _my_ fault."

Quistis snorted, "naturally."

"Anyway, the only reason this is at all relevant to you Quistis is that it may play into the rescheduled field exam. Quite simply, Dollet may demand that we finish the job. Or, we may come to some other arrangement. Depends on what kind of intelligence they give me about their current situation and what they feel they need us to do." Squall explained.

"I see." Quistis said.

"I'll let you know the details once I've figured them out, regarding the field exam by the way. Right now however, since you're here, we might as well get Cid in here too to discuss your eventual transition to headmaster." Squall said, picking up his phone.

Quistis returned to her apartment after a lengthy discussion with both Cid and Squall, satisfied with the plan they'd come up with. She would continue teaching part-time, alternating morning and afternoon classes with the upper level cadets. Together with Xu, they would both work at assisting Squall with his duties as commander, up to and including taking over for him when it was necessary. She was effectively being put as his second in command in a sense.

When she observed this to them both, Cid nodded, saying, "That's exactly what you'll be. It won't be an official, titled position I'm afraid; at least not yet. But Squall does need a second, and I'm certainly not a very good fit for that even though I've more or less filled that role along with that of Headmaster. As you two work together, I hope you'll sort out the division of duties. I know you've already done that in a sense just from your past experiences during the Ultimecia crisis."

"I'm sure we can work that out, we have in the past." Quistis assured him. Squall nodded silently in agreement.

"I won't require much more than a few hours every few days or so to get you more of a sense of what I do. I would like you to gradually begin to take over but there's no hurry. When I finally _do_ retire, I would like you to be both comfortable and confident in your position here." Cid told her.

So Quistis was officially, eventually, going to be headmaster. But first, she got to be Assistant to Squall and Cid; as well as teacher, secretary, and general gofer. Things were about to get much busier for her.

She would start immediately. They had already worked out a schedule for her, and she in turn told Squall that they would work on _his_ schedule in the morning. The look of consternation that appeared on his face at that moment made it very hard for her to maintain a serious mien.

She laughed to herself as she changed out of her uniform, thinking about it. Squall was just coming to a realization of what he'd let himself in for.

Bossy Quisty was about to take charge again.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was busily working on her lesson plan for the classes that she still had in progress in anticipation for a return to them the following afternoon, when she heard a knock at her door. She got up with a smile to answer it, already knowing who it was.

"Hi," Quistis said, stepping back to invite Nida in.

"Hi yourself sweetie. Have a good day so far?" he asked, slipping his hands around her waist and leaning in to give her a soft kiss.

"So far," She answered leading him into her sitting room and crossing the room to the small table cluttered with paper and her laptop.

Seeing her shuffling, stacking and sorting the papers, Nida asked curiously, "what were you working on?"

"Lesson plans, schedules, stuff like that." Quistis answered.

"Yeah? You talked to Squall today?" he asked her.

Quistis nodded, "and Cid. I accepted their offer, and worked out with them how we're going to go about it. I'm going to finish out this semester more or less on my regular class schedule, while helping Squall out in the mornings. Xu will take over in the afternoons while I'm teaching. This will be my final semester as a full-time instructor though. I'll gradually start putting in more time with both Squall and Cid after this semester's over."

Nida reached over and took her hand gently, asking, "How do you feel about that?"

"A little nervous, a little sad at eventually giving up teaching, but also excited as well. As far as the assistant part goes, that's nothing new to me. I've been managing Squall, whether he knows it or not, for years." Quistis answered.

Nida chuckled at that, "I remember." Then he asked, "Any word on the field exam redo?"

"None yet. Squall's still wrangling with both Dollet and Timber about the last one. If any of the kids from the last one ask me about it, I'll just tell them to keep their skills sharp until I have more information. That's really all I can tell them anyway." Quistis said with a shrug.

Then she looked up at Nida and asked him, "How was your day today? Get everything done that you needed to?"

"Fine," he answered. "Got up at dawn, ran about ten kilometers, give or take, then worked on the shot-put and discus, lifted weights for about an hour, then back down into the MD level to finish the inspection and write my report. Which I turned in to Squall just before I came here."

"And now it's what? Just rest, relax and loosen up before the meet on Saturday?" Quistis asked him.

Nida nodded, "Yeah. I'm as good as I'm going to get on the discus and shot put. For now anyway. After the meet, I'll have more time to work on them before the games, as well as address anything else I might need to."

"So you'll pretty much be free for the next two days." Quistis observed.

"Pretty much. I'll be manning the comm. like usual, but really nothing else. I'd be more than happy to spend that time with you." Nida said with a smile.

Quistis smiled at him, "I wouldn't mind, but I have a question: have you spoken to Squall yet about his marathon?"

Nida grimaced, and answered, "Actually, no. I never really had the opportunity to broach the subject with him. When I dropped by to turn in my report his phone was ringing off its hook. He barely acknowledged me."

Quistis sighed, shaking her head. Then she said, "I'll see if I can do something about that. I'm officially starting my internship tomorrow. I'll see if I can get things sorted out enough for him to meet with you and start working a little more on his training."

"Yeah, okay. Maybe if nothing else we can work out a day for him to do a time trial. It'll help. He's got to know where he's starting from." Nida said.

"We'll figure it out. Meanwhile, how are you doing? You look a little stiff." Quistis commented, raising her hands to his shoulders and kneading them lightly. He winced slightly and Quistis dug her fingers into the tight muscles there.

"I am a little stiff." Nida admitted. "I worked hard this morning. Managed a pretty decent distance on the shot and the discus. Not record shattering, but I think I might be able to place at least."

"Good," Quistis said warmly, then smiled at him and took both of his hands. "Come on then, let's deal with the stiffness."

"You know, that's not the only reason that I'm here," Nida responded, not bothering to resist as she started tugging him toward her bedroom.

Quistis paused and smiled, turning around and approaching him, sliding her arms around him and hugging him close. He wrapped his arms around her as well and simply held her, sighing.

"I know its not," she said softly. "I don't mind, honestly. Even if we do nothing else tonight, like you, I enjoy spending time with you. And I love that I'm helping you in some small way."

"You are. You're helping a lot." Nida replied, kissing the top of her head.

"Okay then, let's get rid of your sore, aching muscles." Quistis said, turning with her arm still around his waist and continuing toward her bedroom with him.

Quistis truly did enjoy helping to massage away the aches of a hard day's work, enjoyed running her hands over his smooth skin, kneading into the muscle beneath. She liked it even more when Nida did the same for her, even when she didn't actually need it as much. She smiled as he sighed and gradually relaxed under her hands.

"Have you eaten dinner yet?" she asked him as she worked on his lower back.

"No, not yet." Nida sighed, closing his eyes.

"Anything in particular you're interested in?" Quistis asked.

Smiling slightly, Nida replied, "besides you? Not really. Whatever you want is fine honey."

Quistis snorted at that and pinched his left butt cheek lightly, prompting him to laugh.

"What? I can't help that I'm addicted to you." Nida chuckled, then Quistis began working on his hamstrings and he groaned. "If you keep this up, I'll have to marry you."

Quistis smacked his rear end sharply, saying, " Yeah, right. Be serious."

Nida frowned then, feeling oddly hurt, and more than a little foolish. It was too soon. Much too soon yet and he knew Quistis wasn't ready to go anywhere near that step. It was stupid of him to even joke about it.

He forced a laugh to cover it up and said, "Yeah, silly idea."

But it wasn't silly, not at all. Nida only hoped that Quistis hadn't recognized the truth in that lighthearted statement.

Fortunately (or _unfortunately_ ) the moment passed and Nida gave himself up to Quistis' touch. The feel of her fingers threading through the hair at the back of his neck, followed by a soft kiss, woke him from the half-doze he'd fallen into.

"I'm going to go get dinner started. You're welcome to just relax here if you want to while I'm working on it." Quistis said quietly.

Nida yawned and stretched, appreciating the fact that her efforts had all but driven away his soreness. He was tempted to do just that, his body cried out for sleep in fact. But the notion of actually assisting her in dinner preparation was too appealing to pass up. Turning to face her, he smiled, threading his fingers through hers and kissing her hand.

"I'll help you." He offered, getting up and starting to put his clothes back on.

"You don't have to," Quistis said, suddenly feeling breathless.

" I want to." He said, pulling her close and kissing her softly.

Quistis smiled brilliantly at him then and said, "Okay."

The remainder of the evening was spent in quiet domesticity as they worked together to create their evening meal. Nida studiously avoided any reference to his slip of earlier, though Quistis already knew that he wanted to have a wife and family at some point in his life. Still, he didn't want to scare her off with the idea that he might want _her_ to feature prominently in that role. Not yet, at any rate. When she was ready, perhaps…

It didn't stop him from wishing with all his heart that he could spend the rest of his days and nights with her. Talking. Laughing. Watching as her smile made her blue eyes sparkle and her cheeks turn rosy. Tasting her soft lips and holding her slender body against his… He _wanted_ that, for as long as he could possibly manage it…ideally, for the rest of his life.

They had just finished cleaning up (and who knew how fun something as mundane as doing dishes could be with the right person?) and Quistis had just finished drying her hands when Nida caught her around the waist in the middle of the kitchen, pulling her against him. They'd turned her radio on and music played softly in the background, giving Nida the sudden urge to dance with Quistis.

Swaying slightly, he rested his cheek against her hair and whispered, "We need to go dancing sometime."

Quistis closed her eyes and sighed, swaying with him in time to the music, her hand caressing the back of his neck.

"You like to dance?" Quistis asked him quietly, intrigued. Somehow, the subject had never come up, but now that he mentioned it, she thought she vaguely remembered seeing him dancing with a lovely brunette at the Graduation Ball that was held after he, Squall, Selphie and Zell had passed their field exam.

"Mm-hm." He answered, pulling her closer.

Quistis leaned into him and whispered, "So do I."

"That's good to know," he murmured softly. "I'll take you after the SeeD games."

"I'd like that." She said.

"Meanwhile," Nida said, stepping back and somehow deftly guiding her into a slow twirl, ending up with her back in his arms. "We can practice here."

And so they did, swaying gently to the music, with Nida occasionally guiding her through some steps but mostly just holding her in his arms, her body moving with his. It echoed a more intimate activity, and led their minds down similar paths.

Her cheek brushed his, her fingers played through the lengthening hair at his nape (he was overdue for a haircut…), and her breath tickled his ear. Nida rested one hand lightly on the small of her back, encouraging her to rest her body flush against him. His other hand held hers between them, over his heart. And they danced together, eyes closed, drifting together to the rhythm of the music and their beating hearts.

Quistis' soft lips kissing his cheek brought Nida out of his blissful drifting and focused his attention back onto her. His lips found hers and they stopped dancing while he kissed her. Lightly, sweetly, gently melding his lips to hers, gradually increasing the pressure and the heat, finally delving deeply with his tongue to inflame them both. They were both breathless when they separated briefly, foreheads resting together.

Cradling her face in his hands, Nida brushed one of his thumbs over her lower lip and murmured, "You ready to go to bed?" Quistis nodded, swallowing.

"Yes," she answered softly.

"Good. So am I." Nida said, threading his fingers through hers and tugging her lightly toward the bedroom.

Glancing back at her, he smiled, "By the way, I like the hair. It looks good."

Smiling, Quistis stepped closer and slid her arm around his waist. "Courtesy of Anton, my favorite hairdresser. Who, by the way, is dying to meet you and fervently hoping that you know a cute SeeD boy that might find him interesting."

"Kris and Alex are the only two guys I can think of right now that might, and they're together. I guess, anyway. Hard to tell with those two." Nida said, then smiled down at Quistis and gave her another soft kiss, saying, "I'll have to thank this Anton guy personally. He did a great job."

"He'll be thrilled to hear it from you, I'm sure." Quistis said, still smiling at Nida.

"I'm sure." Nida smiled back.

Nida pushed the bedroom door open and led Quistis in, stopping near the bed and sliding his hands around her waist, pulling her close. He kissed her softly, then simply held her, stroking his hands up and down her back, cheek against her hair. Quistis sighed and leaned into his embrace.

"Early morning for you again tomorrow, right?" Quistis asked in a whisper.

"Yeah." Nida answered softly.

"Me too. Meet here for dinner, after?" Quistis asked him.

"Or my place? I'd like to take a turn at cooking you dinner." Nida murmured.

Quistis smiled, a warm feeling radiating from her heart and spreading throughout her body. She could _definitely_ get used to this.

"Sure you won't be too tired?" She asked, snuggling closer.

"I'll be fine." Nida assured her, and then kissed her softly.

And just like that, what had simmered between them all evening roared to life. They kissed each other breathless, skimming lips over bared skin as they removed their clothing. They came together inflamed by the passion that ruled both of their senses and left them drowning in its wake. They held each other in its aftermath and simply breathed, neither speaking but both thinking that a lifetime of this would not be long enough.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun shone bright, the day was warm but the breezes were cool, on the Saturday that Nida and several other members of Balamb's track team were to compete to qualify for the SeeD games. The entire team wasn't there; along with Squall, there were a few other members that didn't feel ready for this first of three qualifying meets. Interestingly enough, since Squall was competing in the marathon, several other members of the track team signed on to run with him.

As team captain, Nida was tasked with keeping it all straight and making sure that everyone ran their events without incident…. and of course, to support and encourage his teammates.

The bright morning, the cheering crowd, the breeze that still held a breath of chill owing to the fact that it was early spring; it all stirred Nida's blood and began to excite him. He gazed up into the stands where the spectators interested in the events were watching, looking for a certain blond. He worried at first when his first scan didn't find her. Another sweep of the bleachers finally located her, hair pulled back, wearing a large pair of sunglasses, a sun hat, t-shirt and shorts.

She smiled and waved at him, and he grinned back, shading his eyes with his hand, and waved back. His heart lifted and he couldn't help feeling happy at seeing her there, and smiling at how cute she looked in the big floppy hat she was wearing. Then he turned and circulated among his teammates, leading them in a warm up and stretch routine. All too soon, it was time for Nida's first event.

He shook his arms out and tried to stay loose as he approached the official to check in for the pole vault, trying not to let his nervous excitement get the better of him. As it was, he paced and fidgeted while waiting his turn.

The nervousness faded away however when his turn came and he calmly took the pole and approached the starting point. He hefted his pole, set his feet, and watched the official nod, giving him permission to start his run. Nida took a deep breath, studied the height of the crossbar for a moment, then started off in a measured pace, gradually picking up speed until he reached the end marker.

He planted the pole and let it fling his body upward. He let his momentum carry him over the bar, twisting his body to orient himself into a proper fall onto the mat below. He let out a breath as he landed in order to avoid having the wind knocked out of him and rolled off the mat, satisfied. They'd started off the competition with a good, challenging height, but not an impossible one, and Nida had cleared it easily.

They went through the competitors in short order; not much rest between attempts but it made it possible for Nida to get through the event quickly, winning it easily at just a shade over four meters.

The next of his field events was the high jump, and he qualified for it in second place at two and a half meters. The long jump followed, and Nida finished that event as a winner, qualifying for it as well. Then he had a short break before he took on the javelin, discus and shot-put events.

He rotated his arms and tried to keep his shoulders loose, wiping his face off with a towel before grabbing a water bottle and drinking it down thirstily.

"Hey Nida! Are you going to try to qualify for _all_ of your events today?" One of his teammates asked.

"Yeah. If I don't manage to do that I can make up what I missed on the next meet." Nida answered, flexing his shoulders and stretching them out.

"Well, good luck then Captain, we'll be rooting for ya." The young man said, grabbing Nida's hand briefly before giving him an encouraging fist bump.

"Thanks." Nida replied.

Javelin was next, then the discus and shot put in quick succession. Then a break for lunch and immediately afterward the track events that Nida was most looking forward to. It made for a long day, and Nida knew he'd be more than a little exhausted when it was over.

The scheduling of the events also left him a little worried about refueling. The last thing he wanted to do was to try a full out sprint right after eating, but that was exactly what it looked like he'd have to do. He pondered how he'd manage to get some food into him at a time when it would impact his performance the least.

"Team Captain Nida! You're up!" A call from the official had him hurrying to the staging area for the javelin competition.

The best toss out of three tries would get him into the finals, and the top three from there would go on to the SeeD games. Nida was confident that he'd do well, despite having to rush to get there in order to take his first turn.

Hefting the javelin, Nida took a deep breath and let it out, letting his tension bleed out along with it. Then he started his approach, picking up speed until he reached his marker, stopping and flinging his arm forward, releasing the javelin. He watched, hand shading his eyes as it sailed to the far end of the field, finally embedding itself into the grass a respectable distance from the release point.

A cheer from the spectators prompted Nida to wave and grin toward the stands, stealing a glance toward where Quistis sat, clapping and cheering for him. He couldn't help placing his hand over his heart, bowing slightly to her, and blowing a kiss in her direction.

His next two throws were as good or better, putting him very high indeed in the rankings, and in very good position for the final. The shot put and discus however were not so easy for him, and he worried about them both as he prepared to take his turn at the shot put. He did his best, and while his results weren't outstanding, they were still good enough for him to qualify. Then he was called back to the javelin to take his turn in the final contest.

Approaching the official, he flexed his shoulders and rotated his head and neck, trying to keep loose, trying to ignore the fatigue that was beginning to set in, making his arms feel heavier than normal. Then he took up his javelin, settled himself at the beginning of the approach, took a deep breath, and started his run.

He counted his steps, lengthened his strides and paid particular attention to his form as he prepared to hurl the javelin one last time. He hit his marker and let his momentum fling his arm forward, whipping the javelin loose, hitting the brakes just before he reached the second marker and scratched his final throw.

Then he watched, heart soaring with the spear as it sailed skyward, reaching the top of an incredibly high arc. _Too high_ , Nida worried.

He needn't have. Despite the height of the throw, it had enough force behind it to carry it forward, with a slight breeze helping, to land an impressive ninety meters from the starting point. Well over ten meters from the next farthest throw, winning the event decisively and qualifying Nida for that event in the SeeD games.

The watching spectators cheered, and when the results listing him as the winner were read off over the loudspeaker, the cheers grew louder. Nida simply sighed in relief and went to go find something to eat as they took an hour's break for lunch.

After considering what was on offer, he decided on fresh fruit and picked up a banana and an orange, grabbed a bottle of water and went in search of Quistis.

"Hey sweetie, how're you holding up?" Nida asked as he climbed up the bleachers and sat down beside her (ignoring the gasps and whispers of a couple of girls on the row behind her). He couldn't help smiling again at the image she presented with her large sunglasses and utterly ridiculous sun hat. She looked adorable.

"I'm fine, what about you? You've got to be getting tired now and you still have the track events to do." Quistis asked, concerned. Nida was fit but he was also going all out in his events. He _had_ to be tired.

"I'll manage it. I don't have to win, just place well. Meanwhile, this should help keep me going for the next few events at least." Nida answered, peeling the orange. He'd already eaten the banana. Quistis too was eating lunch, treating herself to a hot dog.

"Do you think that'll be enough? What's your next event?" Quistis asked him, frowning.

"The 100 meter dash, then the 400m and finally the 1500m." Nida answered, then added, "the 110m hurdles too… almost forgot about them."

"Nida, that's too much. There's no way a banana and an orange is going to keep you going for all of that." Quistis said.

Nida shrugged, "It'll have to be enough. The last thing I want is to try running on a full stomach. I'll get sick."

Quistis grimaced, remembering training runs early in her quest to make SeeD where she'd done exactly that. She learned since that orange juice and oatmeal were far better things to eat just before a fifteen kilometer run than eggs and bacon.

Nida glanced down at his watch then and said, "I'd better go. The race starts in about twenty minutes and I need to warm up." Quistis smiled over at him and reached for his hand, squeezing it.

"Good luck." She said.

Nida leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips, saying, "Thanks." Then he whispered, "I love you Quiss."

"I love you too. Go get 'em Nida. I know you can win it." Quistis murmured softly to him. He smiled and kissed her again, then got up and made his way back down onto the field.

Buoyed by Quistis' confidence in him, he jogged across the field to loosen up, then stopped and stretched his legs. Shaking them out, he took some deep breaths to fight the nervous fluttering in his stomach. He always got nervy before a race, the adrenaline already pumping in preparation for the explosive action yet to come. The trick was to stay sharp and keep the edge but not to let it get the better of him. Jumping the gun and blowing the race was not something that Nida wanted to do.

The race would be a single heat. A time trial had already been done to pre-qualify the runners for this race. The first four finishers would go on to the SeeD games. Nida focused on that thought. He didn't _have_ to win, just place in the top four.

He kept telling himself that as he set his blocks and stepped into them, but knew that when the starting gun fired, he'd be going all out to win.

"Down!" Nida and the rest of the runners crouched down over their blocks, waiting for the next command.

"Set!" They rose up, weight balanced on fingers and toes, tense, waiting for….

_BANG!_

Nida exploded from his blocks, his entire body driving toward the finishing tape one hundred meters down the lane. He picked up his knees, arms pumping in synch with them, feet barely touching the ground as he flew toward the finish. He had no idea where the other runners were; he was deaf and blind to everything but the thudding of his own heart, the pounding of his feet, the lane he ran in and the tape at the end of it.

When Nida broke he tape alone he was surprised. When the official told him his time he was astounded.

"Ten seconds flat?" he asked breathlessly, staring at the man, who nodded in confirmation.

Nida's mouth dropped open and he struggled to find something to say, but before anything came to mind he was mobbed by his teammates.

"Awesome! You tied the track record!" Exclaimed one of the young men on his team, pounding his back.

"Great job Captain Nida!" Congratulated one of the girls, flinging her arms around him.

"You smoked 'em all man! Way to go!" Crowed another teammate.

"Hope you left something for your other races, you've still got the hurdles to do." One of the girls worried.

"Yeah, I hope so too," Nida said, walking off the track at the urging of the impatient official, his teammates following him.

 _Crap. I didn't WANT to tie the damn record..._ Nida thought, mentally kicking himself for a moment before reconsidering in light of the fact that with a race as short and intense as the 100-meter dash, there was virtually no room for error. You _had_ to go all out, or risk not even placing.

He wandered the infield, trying to keep moving as he cooled down to prevent tying up, his entourage gradually drifting off to their events or joining him as he stretched his legs. It was pointless to worry at this point over how much energy he had left for his final few events. The only event where he could pace himself was the 1500m, the rest, like the sprint, would be all or nothing.

He knew it would be a grueling day, and he was finally beginning to feel it, his first race taking far more out of Nida than he'd thought it would. Shaking his legs out, he appropriated a bottle of water and drank it down, then took a deep breath, his heart rate gradually settling back into its normal rhythm. He was barely recovered when they called for the 110-meter hurdles. Sighing, Nida headed toward the starting line.


	15. the thrill of victory

The afternoon grew warmer as Quistis watched Nida and the rest of the track team from the bleachers. She'd prepared well, had on plenty of sunscreen and a sunhat, as well as a cold bottle of water. It wasn't terribly hot at any rate; she was mostly concerned about sunburn on her just-healed skin. Having already dealt with burns from the fire, she had no desire to do so again.

She sat alone; if her friends were there, she hadn't seen them. She knew Rinoa was likely home resting and trying to recover from whatever bug had laid her low. Selphie was currently more interested in what Irvine was doing, rather than watching a track meet. Xu…well, if Xu were there she hadn't seen her in the crowd.

It didn't matter. Quistis was fine with watching Nida perform his events and cheering him on by herself. Not everyone might consider a track meet the most exciting sporting event ever, but then not everyone had a handsome boyfriend who was practically an entire track team all by himself.

Her heart leaped when the starting gun fired for his first race, and it started pounding as she watched him fly down the track with his competitors at his heels. It was over in a blink, and it seemed like no time at all passed from the end of that race to the beginning of his next one.

Still, Nida appeared to have enough energy to flow over the hurdles, using his long legs to his advantage. He didn't seem to be running that fast, merely stepping over the hurdles with one long stride in between. But when they came closer to the finish, Nida was clearly in front, breaking the tape first just a few strides later.

Those first two races were wins for Nida, but not easy ones. And the effort he expended on those races left him progressively more tired as he went on to the next ones. By the time he lined up for his final race, the longest yet at 1500 meters, Quistis was worried.

Nida was visibly tired at this point, and Quistis wondered if he'd even manage to place. The race just prior, he managed second place, though even that appeared to be hard fought for him. Myriad concerns crowded her mind: as his fatigue mounted, so did his risk of injury. If he were injured, all his efforts would be for naught.

She hoped he would take it easy. It didn't matter if he didn't place well in this race, there would be another opportunity to qualify; he didn't _need_ to do it all today. If the choice was to finish poorly but uninjured or finishing well but getting hurt in the process… well, Quistis hoped that Nida would be sensible.

But if there was one thing that Quistis had learned about Nida in the time that she'd spent with him, it was this: his quiet, almost self-effacing manner hid a gritty stubbornness, a steely determination to follow through with any given action, no matter what.

It was as true on the track as it was when he was performing his job. No one else could have held it together and calmly _rammed_ Balamb Garden into Galbadia Garden when they'd been battling. Quistis fancied that Nida's phlegmatic performance had even served as an anchor to Squall during that battle, keeping their newly minted commander on an even keel as he tried desperately to work out a strategy that would see them through the fight.

Nida's final race of the day certainly displayed this trait in all of its glory. Quistis nearly jumped when the starting gun went off and the race began. As it was a long race, there wasn't a great deal of jockeying for position, not at first, though there was a bit of a bottleneck as all of the runners immediately moved to the inside lane once they rounded the first turn.

Then they all strung out with Nida loping easily in the middle of the pack. He didn't appear to be laboring too much at the moment, but he wasn't putting forth too much effort yet either. They had four laps to run, and Nida was apparently conserving as much energy as he could for the final lap. Quistis hoped that he could manage to stay close enough to the leaders that he could catch them on the final push.

He held his own, neither gaining nor losing ground, and Quistis couldn't help biting her lip in anxiety, watching as the race progressed. It was hard to tell, watching him, how he was feeling. His strides never faltered but still gave the impression somehow that he was fatigued.

Lap two was done. As they rounded the turn for the third lap, Nida's strides began to lengthen. He started slowly gaining ground on those who were in front of him. All too soon, the gun fired for the final lap and Nida picked up his pace, passing more and more people, gaining more ground on the leaders.

They rounded the final turn and Quistis leaped to her feet as Nida put on his final kick, racing toward the finish hot on the heels of the three remaining runners in front of him.

"Go! Go! Go!" Quistis shouted, cheering Nida on as he blazed toward the tape. Slowly, so slowly, he gained on the leaders, but the ground was running out on him too quickly. Quistis worried that he wouldn't catch them in time, that he'd finish just outside of qualifying territory.

She could tell he was tiring, but he hung on, pouring all he had into the final few meters left of the race. He passed the third place runner, drawing even with the second place contender. He dug deep and managed to push himself ahead of the second place runner…. just as the leader broke the tape and the race ended.

Quistis gasped, heart pounding as Nida continued for a few more strides before dropping into an exhausted walk, panting heavily. He'd managed to qualify, that was the main thing, and as she watched him walk, Quistis was satisfied that he appeared to be uninjured as well.

She stood and walked toward the railing of the bleachers and leaned against it, watching. She watched as the officials converged upon Nida and informed him of his time and confirming that he had indeed qualified for the SeeD games, watched as his teammates converged upon him and mobbed him enthusiastically. She smiled to herself and continued to watch, undecided if she should simply go home and catch up to him later, go and talk to him, or….

The decision was taken away from her when Nida, caught up in that knot of humanity, was carried along with it as the group began moving off the track and toward the locker rooms. He looked back and saw her watching him and mimed that he'd call her. She smiled and waved, and then nodded, signaling that she understood, and he grinned back. Then he looked away and returned his attention to the team.

Quistis sighed and leaned back, hands gripping the top rail, and then she pulled herself back into balance, readjusted her purse and followed the thinning crowd of spectators off of the bleachers. She smiled to herself as she made her way back to her apartment, considering and discarding several different ideas on how to celebrate Nida's accomplishments.

By the time she reached her apartment, she had made a decision, and set to work upon it immediately.

* * *

Nida had no idea how he made it through the shower and back to his apartment. He was _that_ tired. He took stock as he walked up to his door and decided that in spite of feeling wrung out and exhausted, he was actually doing fairly well. He wasn't injured anyway. But his muscles quivered with fatigue and he knew he'd hurt in the morning. Hell, even after stretching and cooling out thoroughly, he was already beginning to feel sore.

But…He had qualified for all of his events in one fell swoop, an almost unheard of feat. Certainly, it had impressed the track team, not to mention his fellow competitors. It was definitely an accomplishment worth celebrating, and there was no one that Nida wanted to celebrate with more than Quistis.

He hoped that Quistis wouldn't feel offended if he fell asleep on her, should she decide to spend the evening with him. He was pretty sure he wouldn't be all that scintillating, not as tired as he was. Still, the thought of sharing his triumphs with her did leave him hopeful that she wouldn't mind if he wasn't, strictly speaking, _exciting_ company.

What greeted him when he opened the door to his apartment however caught him completely off guard.

It was Quistis, looking ravishing in something silky, blue and slinky. Eyes sparkling like diamonds, hair swept up in a sophisticated, sexy style. Two bottles of his favorite beer sat in a bucket of ice on his table, which was beautifully set for two with elegant dishware that he knew he did not posses. The mouthwatering aroma coming from the kitchen was nearly as alluring as the beautiful woman that had engineered the whole thing.

He wondered, briefly, how she'd even gained access to his apartment as they hadn't gotten to the point of trading keycards or anything like that, but he dismissed that thought as irrelevant. She was a SeeD; moreover, she worked with his commander. It would have been more surprising if she _couldn't_ enter his apartment whenever she wanted. He didn't mind that anyway. In fact, he was glad that she felt comfortable enough to know that he'd welcome her presence, yet sensitive enough to respect his privacy.

"I hope you don't mind all this. I know you must be tired, but I also know you have to be starving by now." Quistis said, smiling at him.

Nida closed the door behind him and engaged the lock, dropped his sport bag on his couch as he made his way through his apartment, took Quistis into his arms and kissed her deeply.

He pulled back and gazed down at her with his mind and heart crowded with what he wanted to say, but in the end it all came down to what was in his heart. "I love you." He murmured softly, smiling.

"I love you too," Quistis smiled back. "That's why I did this. I wanted to celebrate with you, and I knew you had to be both tired and hungry after all you've done today, so I didn't think you'd be up for a big party."

"Right on all counts. Besides, I just qualified. We can have the big bash if I win in the games themselves." Nida said, while smoothing his hands down Quistis' back, enjoying the feel of the soft silk she wore and her warm skin beneath it.

"So? Dinner then?" Quistis prompted him.

"Of course. Though I'm tempted to forego dinner in favor of dessert," Nida said, pressing Quistis closer to him.

"There will definitely be dessert," Quistis smiled. "But dinner first. I rather think you'd like to restore your strength so as to be able to thoroughly enjoy our… _dessert_." She pulled free, took his hand and began towing him toward the table.

Nida laughed softly as he followed her, "There is that to consider. Wouldn't do for me to fade in the homestretch, would it?"

"Definitely not." Quistis said, reaching for her chair. Nida stopped her and pulled it out, seating her with graceful aplomb and bringing a pink flush to her cheeks.

Nida couldn't help a smile and a quick wink as he sat down, loving the way even the smallest of actions such as this could leave the normally self-possessed Quistis blushing and… kind of fluttery. It was just so darned cute to see her get all flustered.

Quistis took one of the beers from the ice bucket and handed it to him, taking one for herself.

Before she could open it however, Nida held his hand out, saying, "Let me."

"Nida…" Quistis protested with a light laugh.

"Come on. Humor me. Those tops are a little tough on the hands." Nida smiled, still holding his hand out. Quistis handed him her beer and he quickly opened it for her and handed it back, then opened his own.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"You're welcome." Nida said, taking a sip and sighing.

It felt good going down, relaxing him even further. Not that he needed it much. He was already tired and wrung out from his exertions of the day. In fact, he worried that the beer might just relax him into complete unconsciousness, and far sooner than he intended.

The aroma of the dinner that Quistis had prepared for him however was sufficient to hold his attention, and it reminded him that he _was_ in fact, famished. So without further discussion, they began to eat.

"You know, I had originally brought the ice bucket for some champagne, but at the last minute decided on beer. I thought you might appreciate it more." Quistis commented, taking a bite of her food.

"I'm glad you did that. Champagne would have been too much. Perhaps after the games, if I win the decathlon, it would be more appropriate." Nida replied, thinking privately that there was only one real reason why he'd ever want to drink champagne. Not that he had anything against the spirit in itself; he simply felt it should be reserved for those occasions that were truly special. Winning the decathlon would count, but that wasn't the occasion that he was thinking of.

No, the occasion that would warrant a celebration with the finest vintage that could be obtained would be his wedding. And as they enjoyed their meal together, Nida began thinking about how he might make that yearning a reality. It would take time, and patience, but in this he was willing to exercise such, if it would gain him what he desired.

Looking into Quistis' sparkling, crystalline blue eyes, Nida decided that the first step in this journey he wanted to undertake must begin with a jewel worthy of her.

_It must be a diamond. As blue and clear as her eyes, and of sufficient size to prove my regard without being ostentatious. Too large, and she'll think I'm showing off, trying to impress her. Too small and she'll think me stingy._

Then again, perhaps not. Perhaps the size of the jewel meant nothing compared to what was behind its presentation to her.

"Well, I've got a lovely bottle just waiting for the end of the games." Quistis was saying.

" I guess that means I'd better win the decathlon, doesn't it?" Nida asked, refocusing his attention back to Quistis.

Quistis shook her head, saying "I only want you to do your best…if you do that, I'm certain you'll win."

"That confident in me are you?" Nida asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes. You have your own brand of stubborn cussedness, and no lack of guts to go along with it. I'm sure that'll get you over the line in first place." Quistis answered.

Nida reached over and took her hand, kissing it softly. "I'm flattered that you think so highly of me."

"It's not flattery when it's the simple truth." Quistis replied, unable to hide the way his touch left her breathless. She reluctantly pulled her hand free to reach for her beer again.

"Well, thank you anyway," Nida smiled at her. He took another bite of his dinner and commented, "This is really good. Did you cook this?"

"Yes, I did," Quistis answered him, cheeks turning pink at the compliment.

"You _are_ amazing." Nida said admiringly.

They were both nearly finished with dinner when Quistis asked him, "How are you feeling right now? Would you like a massage?"

"Well, I _am_ tired, but I'm okay. And I would _love_ a massage." Nida answered her.

"Well, let me just get this cleared up," Quistis said, standing up and reaching for Nida's plate. He stood as well and started putting away the leftover food while Quistis put the dishes in the sink and cleaned off the table.

That task done, Quistis laced her fingers through Nida's and led him to his bedroom, directing him to undress while she got some fragrant oil, adding a small drop of healing potion and warming it with her hands.

Nida sighed as her hands smoothed the oil up his back and over his shoulders, working it and the healing potion with it into his sore muscles. He'd played down exactly how sore he was, but couldn't hide his stiff movements when he'd gotten up from the table. He couldn't help a low groan of pleasure as the oil, warmed by his own body as well as the friction and warmth of Quistis' hands, helped the healing properties imbued in it soothe his pain.

He entertained himself with thoughts of how he might return the favor, once Quistis had finished her ministrations. But despite the sensual nature of most of those thoughts, they did not arouse him this time. Despite his willing spirit, his body was unfortunately not up to the task. His near exhaustion caught up with him, aided by the soporific influence of the beer and Quistis' soothing touch. Nida's eyes drifted shut and those sensual daydreams he was having about Quistis drifted and became real dreams instead, drawing him deeper and embracing him in sleep.

Quistis paused as she heard his soft snore, and smiled, continuing down his back to massage his limp and unresisting legs and feet. Pulling his bedcovers over him, she kissed him softly on the back of his neck, inhaling his scent and threading her fingers lightly through the dark silk of his hair.

Straightening up, she quietly turned out his bedroom light and left him sleeping as she returned to the kitchen to finish cleaning it up. Once the task was completed and the kitchen back to its original tidy state, she returned to his bedroom, undressed and slipped into bed beside him.

Cuddling close, she reached over and gently kissed his cheek, whispering, "Good night Nida, I love you."

* * *

Nida woke first, shifting then groaning as his overworked muscles protested painfully. Nothing he hadn't felt before though, and he knew how to deal with it. Rolling onto his back, he took a deep breath and stretched both arms and legs out to their fullest extent exhaling as he did. It didn't take the pain away completely, but it _was_ a good start to work a little of the stiffness out. Then he rolled onto his side facing Quistis, who still slept peacefully next to him.

He felt slightly embarrassed at falling asleep on her the previous night, he'd wanted to do more than simply eat dinner and crash. But after the effort he'd turned in on the track, it shouldn't have been surprising that he did.

He watched Quistis sleep, smiling slightly as he did. He'd almost gotten up to get ready for work before his sleep-fogged brain finally awakened and reminded him that it was Sunday and he didn't need to. So he simply lay in bed and waited for Quistis to wake up so that he could finish what he couldn't start last night.

Despite his stiff and sore muscles, he felt good, and the main cause of his good mood lay right next to him. His smile grew as Quistis' blue eyes opened, blinked and smiled into his.

"Good morning," he greeted her softly. "Thank you for staying."

"Well, you've stayed at my place often enough," Quistis said.

"True enough," Nida smiled, pulling her into his arms. "So, what do you want to do today?" He smoothed his hand down her back and over her hip, pressing her against him and leaving her no doubt of his intentions.

"I know what _you_ want to do," Quistis smiled, letting her hands travel up and down his back and over the taut curve of his backside. She nuzzled closer and started feathering kisses at the base of his neck, causing his breath to hitch.

"Can you think of anything more fun to do on a Sunday morning?" Nida asked her huskily, teasing her with light kisses, leaving her aching for more.

"No." Quistis murmured. Then she moaned as his lips traveled down her neck to her breasts, closing over a hardening nipple and teasing it. She closed her eyes and sighed as he devoted the same attention to the other, feeling her entire body flush with sudden heat.

That heat turned molten and centered itself at the juncture of her thighs as Nida's lips found hers again and this time kissed her deeply, his tongue sweeping in and tangling with hers. Breaths coming short, both bodies aching for each other, Nida moved his body over Quistis' and sank into her embrace, sinking into her body at the same time.

She wrapped her arms around him, caressing his back and feeling the shift and flex of his muscles as he moved. Wrapping her legs around him and moving with him, closing her eyes and giving herself up to passion's tide. Tension built along with the intensity of their lovemaking, Quistis' breath coming in short, panting moans. Her nails dug into Nida's back and she held on tight while the tide crested, peaked, and swept them both away, rocking them both as the tension broke free.

They held each other tightly while in the throes of their release; Nida groaning deep in his throat, Quistis' gasping moans echoing him as he poured himself into her. He dropped his head into the hollow of her neck and simply lay with her, still panting heavily, heart beating such that Quistis could feel it pulsing against her chest.

Finally he raised himself up onto his elbows and gave her a soft, lingering kiss.

"I love waking up with you," he murmured softly, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Me too." Quistis smiled up at him.

"Share a shower with me?" he asked her.

"Aren't you going to run this morning?" She asked him.

"No, but I do want to take a walk later on. The massage you gave me last night helped a lot, but I still need to work out a few kinks. A brisk walk and some stretching should help that." He answered, then he asked her, "do you want to join me?"

"Yes." She answered. Nida smiled and kissed her again, then moved off of her and got out of bed.

"Come on," he said, reaching his hand out to her. She took it and he helped her get out of bed and tugged her to her feet.

"Let's go get that shower."

They walked along the beach that morning hand in hand…for a little while. Eventually Nida felt the need for a bit of a run, and invited Quistis to join him with the simple incentive of "Tag! You're it!"

They playfully dashed and dodged among the surf, getting splashed with seawater and sprinkled with sand, until Quistis finally caught Nida and shoved him unceremoniously into the water. She nearly got away clean but he grabbed her at the last moment and pulled her along with him.

They both ended up falling into the surf just as a breaker hit the shore, drenching them both.

They were heedless. Their gasping laughs as the water receded faded as they gazed at each other, then Nida leaned forward and kissed her. He tasted sunshine and brine, and felt the warmth of the sun and the chill of the seawater as yet another cataract rolled over them both.

In wordless accord they got up and returned to Nida's apartment where they showered off the sand and seawater together, and made love all afternoon. Nida confessed later that he'd intended to do a bit of maintenance on Sally that day but had decided instead to concentrate on Quistis.

"I'll do it later. It isn't critical, she just needs an oil change and I need to check her valves." Nida said, idly tracing his fingers from her navel to her breasts, dropping a soft kiss on her shoulder.

"I'm flattered. You chose me over your first love?" Quistis laughed slightly.

"It wasn't much of a contest. You're _much_ better in bed than she is." Nida replied with a wicked grin, causing Quistis to burst into laughter.

* * *

Nida yawned widely and stretched as he walked out of Garden's gates in the gray light of dawn. The day, and _night_ , before with Quistis had been wonderfully refreshing for both his body and his spirit. She'd gotten up with him this morning to return to her room and get ready for work while he went out for his run and resumed his training.

He'd decided that morning upon a nice run along the beach as a change of pace rather than a run on the road into the mountains that he normally did. He enjoyed the sounds and smells of the sea, and smiled as he recalled he and Quistis playing in the surf like a couple of kids.

He jogged easily along the road toward the beach to warm up, shaking his arms out along the way. He was still stiff and slightly sore, but taking a rest the day before had gone a long way toward remedying that. And the soreness faded as his muscles gradually settled into their work. He was still a half-kilometer away from the beach proper when he saw that he wasn't the only one who'd intended to run there that morning.

"Hey Squall," Nida hailed him as he approached. Squall looked up from his bent-over position as he stretched out his legs.

"Hey." He responded on an exhaled breath, continuing with his stretching.

Nida started with his stretching as well, asking Squall, "How far you going?"

"Long course," Squall answered laconically.

Nida nodded, "Well, I'm only going halfway. Want company for that much at least?"

Squall glanced over at him, then nodded. "Alright."

Nida finished his stretching soon after that and they started off. They ran stride for stride at an easy pace; Nida because he didn't want to push himself just yet, and Squall because he had farther to go.

To anyone watching, they would have been an unremarkable sight. Two young men, dressed in the black shorts and white tee shirts that most SeeDs and _all_ cadets wore when they were exercising, loping side by side along the seashore. A common enough sight in the early mornings along Balamb's shoreline.

"How's the training going?" Nida asked as they ran.

"It's going. Tougher without the GFs though." He answered. Nida nodded in agreement. He felt the same way. It _was_ tougher without the boost in strength and endurance that a junction provided.

"You going to do a time trial for the marathon or try for a qualifying race?" Nida asked.

Squall frowned as he ran, considering, then he answered, "I don't know. Time trial I guess. Don't really have the time to go do a race."

"Well, let me know when you want to set it up. If you need a pusher, I'm your man." Nida offered.

"Pusher?" Squall glanced over at him, puzzled.

"Someone to run against. Hard to beat the clock if you don't have competition." Nida answered. The pace was still easy, but he knew that wouldn't last. Their conversation would have to conclude soon.

"Haven't you got enough to do?" Squall asked.

"A lot of my events are running events. And a little extra endurance training won't hurt me. Besides, I've run a marathon before. You haven't." Nida glanced over at Squall.

They ran together in silence for a few moments before Squall finally said, "No, I haven't."

"So let me help you." Nida replied.

Squall fell silent again, then finally said, "fine." Then he flashed a brief half-smile and said, "You talk too much Nida."

Nida chuckled breathlessly at that statement; they hadn't run long enough yet for talking to be difficult, but Squall's next glance in his direction told him that would change. He caught the glint of challenge in Squall's eyes as his strides began to lengthen, increasing their pace.

Nida followed suit and they matched strides for several kilometers, not quite racing each other, but not far off from it either. Both concentrated upon their breathing and their strides, falling into a rhythm that they were both familiar with. They had both settled into a long striding, ground-eating pace, which while fast was easy enough to maintain for the distance they were traveling.

All too soon, they were within sight of the marker indicating the point where Nida would have to turn back to complete the short course he'd intended to run that morning.

As their paths began to diverge, Squall said, "slacker."

Nida snorted at that and replied, "Show off. I'll see you at work later."

Squall raised his hand in acknowledgement but said nothing more, picking up his pace and continuing smoothly along the beach. Nida picked his pace up as well, heading back the way he'd come and pushing himself to greater speed now that he was halfway through his run and starting to tire.

_Starting_ to. He wasn't there yet, and despite what the meet had taken out of him, felt in fine fettle that morning. So he upped the tempo a bit, falling into a faster cadence. But he didn't _really_ push, not yet. Not until he'd gone more than halfway back the way he'd come. Then he ducked his head and dug deep, putting on a surprising burst of speed.

He eased up as he came to the end of the course and walked it off, waiting to catch his breath before he started stretching to cool down. The soreness had faded from his muscles as he'd worked them, and he took care to cool out properly. Injury was something he'd rather avoid if possible.

Upon returning to Garden, he went straight for the gym and worked on some strength training before returning to his apartment to shower and dress for work.


	16. Blood, Sweat and Beers

"Commander Leonhart's office, Quistis Trepe speaking. How may I help you?" Quistis answered the ringing phone at the outer reception desk. When Squall wasn't in his office, his calls routed to her extension.

They'd worked out a routine between her and Xu to cover any calls or messages intended for Squall, and help him with the more mundane aspects of his commander duties, freeing up his time enough to allow him to train for the SeeD games. She still taught her classes, though on a truncated schedule, and in the afternoons only. Mornings she spent at Balamb Garden's offices assisting Squall with his duties.

The cadets that had been involved in the failed field exam had already been reassured that another was being planned and they would automatically be qualified for it. Squall and Quistis were still trying to find a good, challenging assignment that would serve as a good test for them and thus far hadn't found anything that would work. She sympathized with the frustration of her cadets when they expressed it to her at being stuck in limbo these last few weeks while she and Squall worked on it.

Quistis had worked out a routine of sorts with Nida as well, spending most of her evenings with him either at his place or hers. Thus far, her friends (with Xu as the exception) either weren't aware of Quistis' relationship with him or were too caught up in their own concerns. Selphie in particular was wrapped up in her re-emerging relationship with Irvine. Quistis wished them all the best in that, and hoped things worked out for them this time.

Meanwhile, time ticked ever onward as Squall, Nida, Irvine and all of the other SeeDs that had signed onto Balamb Garden's team prepared for the games. They had finally gotten a time trial scheduled for Squall's marathon, and he had already managed to make it to a qualifying meet for his gunblade-fencing event, winning it easily. Irvine was planning on going to Galbadia Garden in the next couple of days or so to attempt to qualify for his events as well.

"Good morning General DeVray." Quistis said in response to the voice on the other end of her phone. "No, Commander Leonhart isn't available right now. Would you like to leave a number for him to call you back?"

Nodding, Quistis reached for a pen and quickly filled out the information on a memo slip, repeating the number as she wrote it down. "Thank you sir. And what is this in regards to?" She asked, and at his answer replied, "I see. I'll make sure he gets the message. He'll call you as soon as he can. Thank you sir."

She hung up the phone and jotted down the rest of the message. Once finished, she got up and headed towards Squall's office, catching him just as he was arriving.

"Good morning Squall," she greeted him. Handing him the memo slip, she added, "General DeVray called about a hire and he wanted to speak with you directly."

She fell into step beside him as he made his way to his office and keyed it open.

Glancing at the slip as he opened the door, Squall said, "I see. I'll call him right away. Any other messages?"

"None. I just made a fresh pot of coffee, did you want a cup?" Quistis asked him.

Squall looked up with a frown as he was seating himself at his desk, saying, "I can get my own coffee. You don't have to do that for me."

" I know that. I was just heading there to get a cup myself and you've already got things to do. It's no trouble." Quistis said.

"Oh. Well in that case, yes. Thank you." Squall replied, logging into his computer. As Quistis was turning away to leave he added, "Make it…"

"Black. Yes, I know." Quistis smiled at him and he smiled slightly back at her, then picked up his phone. She shut the door behind her as she left.

She was seated at the reception desk sipping at her own coffee and wondering if the General was going to solve their field exam problem for them, when Squall called her into his office.

"Yes?" She asked as she entered.

"I have to go to Dollet tomorrow morning and meet with General DeVray, and I'm not sure how long I'll be. I'm leaving it to you and Xu to handle anything that doesn't require my personal attention." Squall told her.

"Might this be a solution to our field exam dilemma?" Quistis asked him.

Squall shook his head, "Unfortunately, no. He needs help along their northern border. Those renegades we fought in the last field exam have regrouped and are posing a real challenge to them. I'm afraid this is not a situation that can be turned into a field exam."

"I see. I'll let Xu and Nida know you're going to be out tomorrow then." Quistis said.

"Thank you." Squall said, turning his attention back to his computer.

Quistis turned to leave his office, and upon reaching the door turned back with a smirk and said, "Don't forget Lion Heart."

Squall chuckled in response, "I won't. It never fails to impress."

Quistis laughed softly and left.

* * *

"Instructor Trepe?" Quistis looked up at the cadet who'd addressed her, while she was busy packing up to leave for the day.

"Cadet Stone? What can I help you with?" she asked him curiously.

He came further into the classroom along with two other cadets from the field exam and approached her desk.

Clearing his throat, he said, "we've been talking, and I know you're working on getting another exam going for us. We also know that the whole reason we have to even do that is because the evaluations were incomplete. But…. We also know you and Commander Leonhart did a complete analysis of the exam so that you could present your findings to the clients that hired us."

"Commander Leonhart did most of that. I only told him what I recalled of the events, same as you." Quistis replied.

"We understand. But… if you don't mind, could you and maybe the commander tell us where we went wrong? So that we won't mess up on the next field exam?" Cadet Howe spoke up.

Quistis studied the cadets that faced her and realized that they were right. They really hadn't had a chance to analyze their own actions to see where they might require improvement. Of course part of that was due to the fact that gathering and compiling that information was a time-consuming and exacting task. And of course there was recovery to be taken into account for those who'd sustained injuries.

Finally she said thoughtfully, "Commander Leonhart won't be available tomorrow, unfortunately. However, I'll talk to him the first chance I get and get a copy of that report from him, get his impression of the facts as he saw them. When I do, I'll let you all know and we can meet here and go over it."

"Okay, thanks." Cadet Stone said, and the other cadets echoed his response.

"I realize you are all feeling a little bit frustrated at being left in limbo for so long, but please be patient. In the meantime, you're right, analyzing that field exam will certainly help you on the next one. I guess it goes without saying that you're still working with your GFs, right?" Quistis asked them. The cadets nodded as one.

"Good. I'll notify you when I have everything in place for this. Thanks for coming to me." she smiled at them and they thanked her and left.

She continued with packing up her work for the day and headed back to her apartment to grade the quiz that she'd handed out to her underclassmen today. Until she could speak to Squall about the matter her senior cadets had brought to her attention, she would only be wasting time worrying about it, so she set that concern aside for the time being.

Upon reaching her apartment she immediately loosened her tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons on her blouse, pulling off her uniform tunic and laying it over the back of the couch. Then she continued to her office with her new attaché case filled with the homework assignments and quizzes that she needed to grade that day. The case was a gift from Nida in an effort to help her transport her students' work without fear of running into "some goofy klutz like me" that would scatter them hither and yon.

It was a simple, plain leather one, nothing too terribly fancy, but still well made and beautiful in its simplicity. And the quality of its construction hinted at a high-end price tag. All Quistis cared about however was the fact that Nida had gifted it to her and she sincerely appreciated his thoughtfulness. Not only for the gift itself but also for the fact that it _did_ make things much easier for her to transport to and from her classroom.

She worked steadily grading the quizzes and other homework assignments that she had assigned that day, compiling and emailing the grades before realizing that she'd worked for several hours and Nida had yet to show up. Quistis frowned and checked her watch, noting that it was well past the time that he normally arrived.

Putting the graded work back into her case, Quistis got up and went into the kitchen, deciding to go ahead and cook dinner. Either Nida would show up or he wouldn't; it wasn't as if they'd made any formal plans, though Quistis _did_ wonder what was keeping him.

She'd considered calling him several times, but didn't want to seem like a nag. It was possible some emergency or another with the Garden had kept him late. It did happen. Not often, fortunately, but as the chief engineer in all but name, Nida was the one called upon to solve problems that no one else could.

Still, it was with a sigh of regret that she started putting away the leftover food that she'd cooked and started cleaning up in preparation for bed. She hoped he was okay, and that he'd gotten good backup with him if he happened to have to go down to the MD level.

It wasn't until she'd undressed for bed and was in the process of turning out the lights that she heard a soft knock at the door. Tightening the sash on her robe, she went to the door and opened it to see Nida propped against the frame, looking utterly exhausted.

"Nida! I wasn't sure you were coming by tonight!" Quistis exclaimed softly, opening the door wider and allowing him to enter.

"Sorry I'm so late Quiss," he said, moving stiffly toward the couch and half-sitting, half collapsing onto it.

"Did something happen in the MD levels tonight?" she asked him worriedly. She came over to sit down beside him and peered closely at him, brushing his hair away from his face, frowning slightly when all she saw was fatigue but no evidence of injury.

"No, nothing like that." He reassured her, taking her hand and kissing it gently before letting his head drop against the back of the couch and closing his eyes. "Squall decided he wanted to do his time trial tonight before he went to Dollet tomorrow. That guy just doesn't know when to quit."

"Yup. That's Squall. I guess he just wanted to get it over with." Quistis sighed, then asked him, "I'm guessing he called the officials and talked you into running with him?"

"Yeah. Well, I offered to be his pusher." Nida answered, then he yawned.

"So, did he qualify?" Quistis asked.

Nida nodded and mumbled, "Barely. Turns out, he _needed_ the push. I don't think he had a clue of what he was getting into and it didn't help that both of us were already tired from a long day at work, plus the workouts we'd already done earlier. We were both flagging pretty badly toward the end."

"And I'll bet you didn't even have time to eat dinner." Quistis stated.

Nida shook his head. He knew he needed to replace the resources he'd burned up that day, but he was too tired to even think about eating. He just wanted to pass out for the next week or so.

Making a decision then, Quistis kissed him briefly on the cheek and said, "I'll be right back." She got up and headed toward the kitchen. Nida blinked his eyes open and gazed after her, vaguely disquieted at the thought that she was intending to cook something when she was obviously ready to go to bed.

Nida sighed, "Quistis? Sweetheart I know it's late, you don't have to…"

"It's no trouble. I know you're tired but you really do need to get something into you." Quistis said, returning with a cup of warmed soup.

"Here," she said, handing it to him. "This should do for a start. If you feel up to more I can reheat what was left over from dinner."

Taking the cup and blowing at the top before taking a cautious sip, Nida sighed as he felt the warmth travel down to his stomach and radiate outward, increasing his sense of well being along with it.

"This is fine Quistis. Thank you," he smiled tiredly at her and continued sipping at his soup, feeling better by the moment. Settling herself back against him, she leaned her head against his shoulder, sighing.

When he'd finished, she took the cup from him and asked, "do you want anything else?"

"No. I just want to go to bed." he answered her, getting to his feet with a quiet groan. "I hope you weren't expecting any fireworks tonight sweetie. I'm too tired to even _think_ of anything more than sleep." Quistis followed suit and headed into the kitchen to put the cup into the sink.

"That's okay. I'm just glad you're here." She said when she returned, taking his hand and leading him to the bedroom, turning lights out along the way.

When they reached her bed, he pulled her into his arms and simply held her for a moment, then bent down and gave her a soft, sweet kiss.

"There's no place else I'd rather be," he whispered.

* * *

Early the next morning, Quistis was ready with a hot cup of coffee for Squall, knowing now that he'd likely be in about the same shape that Nida was. That speculation was borne out when Squall arrived, his stiff, deliberate movements giving away the fact that he was definitely in pain.

"Rough night?" Quistis asked, eyebrow raised.

Squall took the coffee without comment and grimaced as he took a sip, "You could say that. I get to pay the price in pain for overestimating my ability to run a marathon at the spur of the moment. At least I qualified. Barely."

"Well, that's good. General DeVray just left a message wanting to confirm your ETA." She reported.

"I'll call him in a moment." Squall told her.

"All right," Quistis replied. Then she tilted her head and smiled, asking, "Is the General making this meeting a formal occasion?"

Squall sighed and glanced down at his pristine dress uniform, complete with more medals than he thought were decent, and answered, "Kind of. Him and the rest of his brass-asses are going to be wearing enough medals and gold braid to sink a ship. And he's a real stickler for protocol so if I don't show up spit-polished to within an inch of my life he'll take it as an insult. Besides that, have you _seen_ their formal uniforms? Gaudy as all hell. Whomever designed them had to be both colorblind and devoid of any sort of taste or restraint. _This_ is plain by comparison."

Quistis placed her hand over her mouth and laughed softly at Squall's exasperation. She'd seen the uniforms that the Duke and his top officers wore, and had to agree. Gaudy wasn't the word for it. Hideous, was the more accurate term that came to mind.

Catching a gleaming flash of silver at his hip, Quistis commented approvingly, "You've gotten Lion Heart nicely polished up and pretty. That ought to earn you some points."

"Let's hope anyway." Squall said, finishing his coffee and disappearing into his office briefly to call the general.

He emerged shortly thereafter and informed Quistis, "If anyone asks, I'll be back by this evening. If there's anything that needs my personal attention, just set it aside for me and I'll deal with it when I get back. You have my cell number in the event of an emergency, though I think between you, Xu, and Nida, you can handle pretty much anything. _Including_ an emergency."

Quistis laughed softly, "Thanks for the vote of confidence commander. Have a safe trip."

Squall nodded and left, moving a little more easily now that he'd worked out a little of his stiffness.

Quistis had just sat back down at the reception desk and taken a sip of her own coffee when Irvine strode up, looking around.

"Hey, Quisty, is Squall in? I need to see if I can bum a ride in the Ragnarok to Deling," he asked her.

Quistis shook her head, "Sorry Irvine but you just missed him. He's on his way to Dollet to meet with their high command."

Irvine pushed his hat back on his head and studied Quistis, eyes bright and interested and asked her, "Yeah? He got a line on a job?"

"Yes. We'll get the details once he's nailed them down." Quistis answered, and then asked, "What's going on in Deling? Are you doing your qualifying shoot today?"

"Yep. I was kinda hopin' I could get a ride there instead of hoppin' on the train, but since I can't I might as well get going. Did Squall manage to do his time trial for the marathon yet?" Irvine asked her.

"Yes, last night. And he qualified." Quistis told him.

"I knew he could do it. Well, take care Quisty. I'll be seein' ya," Irvine said, giving her a sketchy wave and leaving.

Quistis spent the rest of the morning fielding calls meant for Squall, taking messages, routing paperwork that he had to deal with and reviewing his notes on the people he'd interviewed for the assistant's position. She made a notation on a couple of them reminding herself to ask if Squall wanted to call either of them back to offer them the position.

About midmorning she had a brief meeting with Cid, during which they discussed the situation with her students' field exam, Squall's trip to Dollet, and the various SeeDs that had qualified or were scheduled to participate in qualifying events for the SeeD games. They also discussed Squall's need for an assistant and Cid gave his opinions on those candidates that were being considered, which Quistis took note of afterward.

By that point it was lunchtime so she went up to the bridge to see if Nida would be willing to join her.

"Hey there sweetie, how's everything going down there?" Nida asked her as she stepped off the lift.

"Pretty much like clockwork. Shockingly enough, the world did _not_ go crashing to a halt because Squall had to disappear for a few hours…this despite several calls from people who insisted that they must speak with him, _right away_ , on matters of extreme importance that only _he_ could deal with." She answered him.

He chuckled in response; "It's always like that, is it? It's a wonder he ever manages to get away on vacation."

"Well, it does take a little bit of convincing. Sometimes he has to be reminded that the world will get along just fine without him having to babysit it. He tends to get caught up in things and has a hard time letting go of them. Rinoa _does_ help though." Quistis said.

Nida gave her a warm look, "She reminds him that there's _work_ , and then there's _life_ , and they should not be one and the same. Right?"

"Right. Now then, since we've made that distinction, how about we both leave work behind for an hour and get some lunch?" Quistis invited.

Nida grinned at her; "you don't have to ask me twice!"

"You do know I was talking about food, right?" Quistis asked him.

Nida laughed, "Of course I do. We only have an hour so there's really no time for anything else anyway. Of course, I wouldn't be _opposed_ … and darn you, I'm going to be thinking about that for the rest of the day!"

Quistis laughed and walked into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning up to kiss him, "Good. You'll have plenty of time to contemplate what you want to do with me later tonight."

"Minx," Nida murmured and kissed her.

Pulling back, he brushed at a wisp of hair that had fallen across her forehead and said, "let's go sweetie."

They got onto the lift that would take them down from the bridge to the top floor where the administrative offices of Garden were, walking across the hallway to the elevator that would take them to the main floor.

As they made the short descent, Nida commented, "I've been thinking Quiss. We've both been working pretty hard these last couple of weeks or so. I don't know about you, but I'd like to get out of here this weekend, maybe take another trip to Deling City. I think we both could use a bit of a break."

Quistis leaned against him and slipped her arm around his waist, and replied, "I'd like that."

"Maybe we'll take Sally to that track the highway patrol officer told us about and put her through her paces." Nida said.

"You going to invite him?" Quistis asked curiously.

Nida raised his eyebrows and grinned at her, "Why not? It'd be fun to see how he reacts to driving her. _And_ …" he slipped his arms around her and pulled her to face him, "I still haven't taken you dancing."

Quistis smiled brilliantly at him and said, "It's a date then." The elevator dinged as they reached the main floor and they disengaged as the door slid open, stepping out to make their way to the cafeteria.

"You know," Quistis commented as they entered the cafeteria. "If we have time, I'd love to visit the Deling Public Library. It's been a long time since I've been there."

"Sure. We can try to work that in." Nida said.

"Good. I'd like that." Quistis smiled at him as they got in line and chose their meals.

Once that was accomplished they both selected a table at the far end of the cafeteria. They'd just started eating when Selphie bounced up.

"Quisty! Hi!" She said, completely ignoring Nida. He sighed quietly and rolled his eyes, prompting Quistis to laugh silently.

"Hi Selphie, how are you doing?" Quistis asked her.

"Okay I guess. Did Irvine manage to catch up to Squall this morning?" Selphie asked.

"No, he missed him. He ended up taking the early train out to Deling City." Quistis answered.

Selphie sighed, "Well, darn. I was hoping I could go with him. He's probably already doing his qualifying shoot, isn't he?"

"More than likely. He left hours ago." Quistis replied.

"And me still in bed. Well, he said he'd have to leave early if he couldn't bum a ride out on the Ragnarok." Selphie said, disappointed.

"Well, you can always catch up to him later." Quistis suggested.

"Yeah, that's true. I guess I'd better get going." Selphie said, turning to leave. "See ya later Quisty."

"See you, Selphie," Quistis replied.

"See you later Selphie," Nida said pointedly, with a half-smile. Quistis laughed softly again.

Selphie blinked, just becoming aware of his presence, "Oh! I didn't notice you there Nida! I'm sorry!"

"It's the story of my life." Nida commented wryly, adding, "Don't worry about it Selphie."

"Okay," she smiled at him. "Well, I'm gonna go. Gotta train to catch!" She waved at them both and hurried away.

Quistis exchanged a sardonic glance with Nida, asking, "Do you think she even noticed we were together?"

Nida snorted, "I doubt it. Seemed like she had other things on her mind."

* * *

When Quistis arrived to start work the following morning, she was surprised to find Squall already in his office.

"You're here early. When did you get back?" Quistis asked him.

"Last night. Late." Squall answered, drinking a cup of coffee while frowning down at some paperwork he had on his desk.

"Well, _I'm_ here, so you don't need to be. Not this early at any rate." Quistis admonished him.

"Got a call from DCPD this morning. Now I get to file an incident report." Squall grumbled.

"Did they call your direct line?" Quistis wondered. "You weren't already here to take the call were you?"

"No, they called my cell phone. At four AM. Woke me up." He answered tersely.

Quistis sighed, "oh, dear. Well, I'm here, so if you want me to take over and finish the report…"

"No, I've got it. I'm nearly done." Squall assured her.

"What happened?" Quistis asked him, curiously.

"Some brilliant street thugs decided to attempt to mug two of my SeeDs. They failed." Squall answered.

"Who? Are they okay?" Quistis worried.

"Selphie and Irvine. They're fine. The muggers however are in a local hospital. They'll face charges when they've recovered." Squall answered.

"What about Selphie and Irvine? Are they going to face any disciplinary action?" Quistis asked.

"Not from me. I'm not in the habit of punishing my SeeDs for defending themselves." Squall told her.

"Well that's good at least. What about DCPD?" Quistis asked him.

Squall snorted, "all they did was give me the report, though the Chief of Police did commend me on Selphie and Irvine's restraint in not actually killing their attackers. He seemed rather impressed that they have fewer run-ins like this with my SeeDs than they do with their local soldiers when they're out on leave. I took it as a compliment."

Quistis laughed softly, "You should. Besides, its common knowledge among the SeeDs that you wind up in a particularly foul mood when you have to file incident reports involving civilian fatalities. Injuries to the offending parties tend to result from it."

"It was only that one time, and the fool needed to be taught a lesson." Squall defended.

"I completely agree. Under those circumstances, your response was completely appropriate if a little unexpected." Quistis said.

"Well, administrative punishment with that particular SeeD hadn't worked up to that point, and his behavior had been escalating. Even Seifer was disgusted by it. I'm only sorry that someone had to die before I figured out how to deal with the guy." Squall replied.

"Well, it apparently worked. Not only that, it made a serious impression on everyone else. Toe the line or Commander Leonhart will beat your ass. For _real_." Quistis smiled.

Squall shrugged. He hadn't wanted to go that route but hadn't felt that he'd had a choice, not with that particular SeeD. If he hadn't been so good at his particular area of expertise, Squall would have simply dismissed him altogether and turned him over to the local authorities to face involuntary manslaughter charges. But the guy was a decent enough person that Squall felt that he might be salvageable if he could only get some sense into his thick skull.

It had taken some serious talking on his part however to get the young man released into his custody by the DCPD with the assurance that he'd face serious disciplinary action. The circumstances around the incident; an alcohol fueled bar brawl that had gotten out of hand, led Squall to believe that the man wasn't deliberately malicious, just a stupid, mean, belligerent drunk.

But the end result had been reams upon reams of paperwork for Squall: depositions, affidavits, police reports, and lawyers… Squall had been required to draft a report of the incident, including the police reports and the evidence they'd gathered, eyewitness testimonies and everything, present the report and his recommendations on what sort of disciplinary action to use to the judiciary body in garden…which he'd not even been aware existed until then.

All of that paperwork had to be sent back to Deling City so as to satisfy their judicial requirements. And if it did _not_ …then it was all to do again until it did.

Squall's part in the SeeDs punishment was cleverly added in a line item as "remedial combat training". Along with revocation of all leave privileges for the period of a solid year, probation for two years after that, loss of three ranks and a fifteen percent reduction in pay, _and_ mandatory alcoholism rehabilitation, the SeeD's punishment was in fact, far harsher than the local authorities had recommended, and they were more than satisfied that Balamb Garden _would_ handle their errant SeeD adequately.

The "remedial combat training" idea came about as an outgrowth of Squall's frustration with that particular SeeD, coupled with Zell's half-serious suggestion to use the guy as a sparring dummy. For a solid month, the SeeD was to report to the gym every day to spar with Squall, with Zell acting as a referee. If the guy wanted a fight, Squall was more than willing to give him one.

The first time the guy showed up, his cocky attitude set Squall's teeth on edge, particularly as the guy had several inches of height and reach on him, and Squall wasn't known as a hand to hand fighter. He used a gunblade to fight with, not his fists. The SeeD apparently thought as a result that Squall wouldn't be much of an opponent. So he was caught completely by surprise when Squall laid him out cold with a single punch the moment Zell rang the bell. He never even saw the punch coming. Any thoughts that Squall would be easy to defeat without his gunblade were quickly put to rest after that.

"Well, at least it keeps the rowdies in line." Squall commented, frowning at the paper work and adding a note to it.

"Not too many challenges from them?" Quistis asked him, and he shook his head in answer.

"Not once it came out that I spar with Zell on a regular basis." He said.

Quistis laughed at that, "Well, I guess that _would_ serve as a deterrent." Then she added, "It didn't go unnoticed that you'll only use your fists for that too. Even if the other guy was a gunblader."

"I wasn't interested in killing the guy. He's a good SeeD for all his behavioral issues. A bit like Seifer was, actually." Squall commented.

"Speaking of Seifer, how's your training going with him? Still need another gunblader?" Quistis asked him.

"Yes. We all have our challenges, that's for sure. Even the higher-level gunbladers aren't quite up to standard, and they're all still cadets in any case. There's only so far I can push them. Right now there's only one cadet that might possibly be good enough, but…" Squall shrugged at this. "We've got to figure out this field exam thing Quistis. I can get the guy ready and clear it with Cid to schedule his prerequisites if you don't mind sneaking him in with the rest of your cadets. If we can get this done in the next couple of weeks, I can get him qualified and we'll have at least one more gunblader for our fencing team."

"You're talking about Cadet Sage Treide, aren't you?" Quistis asked. Squall nodded.

"I'd heard he was good. I didn't know he was _that_ good." Quistis commented.

"He can hold his own with both me and Seifer. That's no mean feat." Squall said.

"You think he's ready?" Quistis asked him.

"He's very close. Hopefully, by the time we get a field exam scheduled, he will be." Squall answered her.

"Does _he_ think he's ready?" Quistis pressed him.

"That's a very good question. I suppose I should ask him." Squall said.

"Well, that's a good place to start." Quistis said.

Squall nodded and fell silent as he looked over the paperwork and finished it off with a signature.

"Done. If DCPD wants a copy of the report, fax it to them. Otherwise, just file it. I'm going to go for a run and get some breakfast." Squall said, stuffing the papers into a folder and leaving it on his desk.

"All right. I'll handle things here until you get back." Quistis assured him.

"I know you will. I'll see you later." Squall said, then left.

It wasn't until he'd left his office that Quistis remembered that she'd intended to talk to him about going over the field exam report with the cadets. She made a mental note to bring it up with him when he returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, no blood, sweat or beers in this chapter, and yeah, not much action either. I don't know why that title stuck despite the actual content of this chapter, but sometimes it happens that way. I suck at titles too sometimes.
> 
> Anyway, there may not be much in the way of action or anything but I hope it does advance the story a bit, and tie it in a little bit more with Bragging Rights, which was its intent. Don't worry, I haven't given up on this story and it WILL get more interesting as it progresses, I promise. Thanks for hanging in there in the meantime.


	17. Burnout

The Galbadian sun beat down upon an empty stretch of black asphalt, sending shimmers of heat skyward. Silence reigned upon the lonely road for a space of several heartbeats. Then a vibration started, making the small grains of sand upon the surface of the road tremble. The trembling increased as a low thrumming sound began. It grew louder, changing gradually from a low thrum to a growl. As the volume increased, so did its pitch, changing from a growl to a roar, and then moving from a roar to a scream. The source of the sound came into view and hurtled past like flash of black lightning, revealing itself briefly to be a low-slung, black sports car.

Anonymous in a similarly black, visored helmet and jumpsuit, the driver flicked deftly through the gears as the pitch of the engine changed in response. Approaching the turn, the car's driver, attention sharply focused on the feel of the car's tires upon the asphalt, the forces of friction and acceleration that it was subject to, bent the steering wheel slightly. The car's speed and the bank of the turn guided it into the "sweet spot", the place where all the forces combined to speed the car through the turn and around it, flinging it onto the straightaway like a slingshot.

As the road straightened, the driver increased the pressure on the gas pedal. The car leapt forward and raced along the stretch; approaching the pit area and the two figures that stood within, well back from the track.

Suddenly, one of the figures raised a flag and started waving it madly. The driver shifted downward with a sigh, decreasing speed, preparing to pull into the pit in answer to the summons.

The car pulled to a stop and the engine was cut as the flag waver, a middle-aged man wearing a slate gray jumpsuit emblazoned with the track's logo approached. A younger blond woman wearing sunglasses, cut off denim shorts, and a blue t-shirt with Balamb Garden's SeeD emblem screen printed on the front, followed him.

As they made their way over to the sports car, the driver opened the door and stepped out, removing the helmet and running gloved fingers through sweaty, jet-black hair.

The sound of an engine running at high revs caught everyone's attention and they watched as a motorcyclist took the track and raced down the back straightaway and through the turn, then accelerated up the track toward them, nearly popping a wheelie in the process. The rider slowed the bike upon reaching the pit and pulled in, parking well off to the side and out of the way.

"Well Mr. Nida, that car of yours just posted a lap time any pro racer would be proud of. She's fully stock, no modifications?" the pit boss asked.

"I rebuilt the engine to factory spec. Everything's as original as I could get it." Nida answered, smiling as Quistis joined them. She slipped her arm about his waist and he bent down to give her a quick kiss.

"Looks like our guest has arrived. Never expected him to turn up on a motorcycle," Nida observed as the rider got off the bike and removed his helmet, revealing a shock of close-cropped, brown hair.

"How's she running?" the man asked as he approached, blue eyes bright and interested.

"Fine. Mickey and I did a bit of fine-tuning before I put her on the track. No longer flat on the top end and she's in fine form now." Nida answered him, indicating the pit boss.

"Well…Nida is it? Is that your first name or your last name? I didn't see anything else on your ID when I saw it…" the man asked.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. It's the only name I've got. I'm a war orphan and they couldn't find my birth records. Just call me Nida." Nida explained. The man frowned slightly at this but didn't comment on it.

"Thanks for inviting me along Nida," the officer said politely, putting his hand out to shake Nida's in greeting.

Turning to Quistis, he asked, "And…is it Quistis? As in Quistis Trepe?"

"It is," She answered.

"I thought you looked familiar. The name clinched it. So you were part of that team out of Balamb Garden weren't you? You worked with Commander Leonhart to sort out that Sorceress business a few years ago, right?" he asked her, eyes widening in recognition.

"That's right. I still work with Commander Leonhart, as a matter of fact." Quistis answered him.

The man bowed slightly, hand to his heart, before extending it toward Quistis, saying, "Then I am honored to meet you, Miss Trepe." She took his hand and shook it firmly.

He returned his attention to Nida, his respect for the young man deepening as he said, "Thank you again for inviting me."

"You're welcome officer Jameson." Nida replied.

"Just call me Kenny. I'm not on duty today." The man grinned at them. "I can't wait to get that beauty on the track to see what she can do."

"Well, I can tell ya what _this_ fella here made it do," The pit boss said. "He came within a hair of the track record with this little beauty. A twenty year old, _stock_ sports car, and he was just a second off from the record!"

The officer turned his attention to Nida, eyebrows raised, and said, "Wow. That's impressive. Now I _really_ want to drive her!"

"Be my guest." Nida said, stepping away from the car, Quistis still at his side, and handing the man his keys. "Clutch and shift are both on the steering wheel. Leave the windows down, there's no air conditioning in it and it's hot as sin today. You'll roast in the leathers and helmet. No power steering either, but she's in perfect alignment and once you get going you really don't need to muscle her around the corners. The forward momentum will power you through just fine."

Tossing the keys, the man nodded, saying, "Got it!"

Quistis, Nida and Mickey, the pit boss, walked back to the barrier and got behind it, leaving Kenny, the highway patrol officer, to get into the car, buckle up and start the engine. After putting on his helmet he gave them all a thumbs up and put the car into gear, pulling sedately away from them as he made his way to the track from the pit area. He picked up speed gradually; obviously working on getting a feel for the car and the way it operated.

The pit boss, Mickey, got his stopwatch out and held it ready, waiting for Kenny to make his first pass by the pit before starting the timer. They watched as the car, by now traveling at a good speed, sailed cleanly through the far turn and started up the straightaway behind them, the engine's roar audible even from the far end of the track. The sound changed as Kenny changed gears and the car leaped forward, the roar increasing in pitch to a scream.

"Did you want to take another run when he gets back?" Nida asked Quistis, who shook her head.

"No. It's getting on toward lunch, and I seem to recall a visit to the library being factored into our plans." She answered. "Perhaps we should invite our new friend along to lunch?"

Nida shrugged, "I'll ask him."

Kenny made several passes before they had Mickey flag him into the pit. He pulled up and stopped, cutting the engine before getting out of the car and removing his helmet, revealing a wide grin.

"That was awesome! What a rush!" He said, approaching them and handing Nida his keys. "Thanks so much for inviting me. She's everything I thought she'd be and more!"

"Yeah, she was the love of my life up until recently," Nida replied, giving Quistis a warm look.

She smiled at him and poked him in the side, saying, "Careful, you'll make her jealous."

"She still gets plenty of attention from me, so it's all good." Nida replied calmly.

"True enough," Quistis said.

Kenny chuckled, "you know, I've never thought of a machine as having a personality before, but after driving your car, I'm inclined to think otherwise. I could swear she was actually _enjoying_ the chance to open up and run."

"As old as she is, she's no delicate flower. She _does_ like to work." Nida said.

"Well, I'm just glad you decided to pull over that afternoon and not try to make a race of it. I hate to say this but she would have outpaced our Interceptors quite handily, and they're no kiddie cars either." He responded.

"Really? What do your Interceptors have under the hood?" Nida asked curiously.

Quistis watched the two men in amusement as they veered off into an intense discussion of the technical specs of Galbadia's highway patrol cars in comparison with Sally's capabilities and those of the newer models of sports cars currently available.

Seeing the two men deep in conversation, Mickey chuckled and turned to Quistis, saying, "They'll be occupied for awhile miss. I've got some cold drinks in a mini fridge in my office. Are you interested?"

"I could do with something cold to drink. It's gotten rather warm today." She answered.

"Well, standin' out in the sun like you've been for the past coupla hours will certainly take its toll. I'll give ya a couple more to bring back to the guys after you've had a bit of a break." The man said, adding, "Follow me."

Quistis did as he'd requested, leaving Nida to his rather animated conversation with the off-duty officer.

"Okay, I've got to ask, since the subject hasn't actually come up yet. What exactly do you do at Balamb Garden?" Kenny asked curiously.

"Well, pretty much anything they need me to, really," Nida answered. Out of deference to the heat, he'd removed the black leather jacket that he'd been wearing earlier, leaving just the white t-shirt and black jeans he'd put on that morning.

"Officially, I'm Balamb Garden's pilot. Which means if we need to go anywhere, I'm the one that gets it there. Unofficially, I'm also the Chief Engineer, though that's not an actual position within Garden that I'm aware of. That means I'm also in charge of Garden maintenance. It breaks, I fix it." Nida explained.

Kenny raised his eyebrows, impressed. He'd also removed his leather jacket, folding it and laying it across the seat of his motorcycle. Going over to it now, he reached into the breast pocket of the jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. After removing one and putting it in his mouth, he tilted the pack at Nida in offer, putting it back at the other man's polite refusal in the form of a headshake.

"Don't smoke eh? Can't say I blame you. Wife's always after me to quit." Kenny said, lighting up.

"Never cared for it, personally. Plus I'm training for the SeeD games. Seems counterintuitive to smoke when the bulk of my events involve running." Nida replied.

"There is that," the man said, nodding. "What events do you do?"

Nida's lips quirked in a half smile as he answered, "just about _all_ of them. I'm doing the decathlon."

Kenny started chuckling, "Man, you are too much. You make me feel like a real slacker."

"How so?" Nida asked, wondering at the man's humor.

"What are you, twenty?"

"Twenty-two, actually." Nida answered. _I think…_

"Twenty-two. And you're a full SeeD, you pilot _and_ maintain that big-ass Garden of yours. I've seen it; I have no idea how it even moves much less how you _drive_ it. If that isn't enough for one guy, you've rebuilt the most beautiful car ever made to perfection and you've got a _beautiful_ girlfriend…Quistis Trepe, no less. Nice work there, by the way." Taking a drag off his cigarette, Kenny added, "Me? At twenty-two I was just getting out of the army and trying to figure out what the hell I wanted to do next. I'm thirty-three now, been married almost ten years to a wonderfully patient lady, got two kids, and I enjoy my job but I can honestly say that I haven't accomplished even half of what you've done. Hell, I'm not even a patrol supervisor. I _am_ however, putting in for sergeant."

"I envy you." Nida said quietly. The man stared at him, stunned.

"Why?" he finally asked.

"The life you have now is the one that I want for myself some day. I grew up in a military academy. I have no family, no name; I don't even know the day I was born. Quistis is the same. All of us at Garden are orphans of the First Sorceress war. What I do now is what I've been trained to do. It's the only life I know. I didn't choose it. Neither did Quistis. And at any moment, for any reason, that life could end. In spite of that however I can't help hoping that I can somehow manage a future life like the one you have now." Nida answered. Then he added, "In my line of work, an exciting day can end in a fatality. It's not always a good thing, excitement."

Kenny sobered and said gravely, "same with mine. Boring is good. Routine is good. But sometimes shit hits the fan and it's on you to chase down and catch the bad guy. Sometimes the bad guy dies. And sometimes it's the good guy that gets it instead." He finished his cigarette and dropped it at his feet, stamping it out. "Few months back, a buddy of mine went to pull a guy over for a broken taillight. For a wonder, the guy actually pulled over and stopped instead of running. Maybe he was playing it cool. Who knows? So, my friend calls it in, gets out and walks up to the car to ask for license, registration, you know, the usual routine. Before he could even ask the driver for it, the bastard pulls out a gun and shoots my friend in the face and takes off. Turned out he'd just robbed a mom and pop gas and go a few miles up the road, killing both clerks. Took awhile but we finally caught the guy and he's on trial now."

Nida sighed and studied the other man, asking, "Your friend wasn't aware of this guy's crime at the time he pulled him over, I take it?"

"No, he wasn't. The crime hadn't been reported yet." Kenny answered, studying his cigarettes as though considering taking another smoke. Finally deciding against it, he shrugged slightly and turned away.

"That sucks." Nida finally said.

"Yeah." Kenny said, and they lapsed into silence for a moment.

"Same thing happened to you, didn't it?" Kenny asked Nida.

After a moment's hesitation, Nida answered, "Yeah, it did. Routine day that was anything but, and it ended up with a good friend of mine dead."

The man tilted his head, studying Nida closely and seeing signs of still fresh grief. Signs that he'd seen in himself and his other co-workers for weeks after Danny's murder.

"This happened recently, didn't it?" he asked.

Nida nodded. "The day you pulled me over. It happened that morning. I was running away, you see. Running away from it for even just a few days, and Quistis? Well, she was coming along as a… as a distraction, though it wasn't how I thought of her then and it isn't how I think of her now."

"Did it help?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah it did. She understood and she knew what I needed. More than I did myself, actually." Nida answered.

Kenny chuckled, looking down at his feet for a moment but declining to comment. He'd already seen the signs himself and wasn't about to fox it for the young SeeD. A woman like that was the kind that a guy ended up marrying. If Nida hadn't already figured that out, he would eventually. He didn't look or sound like he was stupid.

His speculation was confirmed when Quistis reappeared, carrying a dripping bottle in each hand. Nida's expression softened noticeably, and he smiled as she approached, handing him a bottle.

"Here," she said, turning and handing a bottle to Kenny as well. "You guys have been sitting out here chatting away in the sun so long I'm surprised your brains haven't been baked."

"Well," Kenny said, opening the bottle when he confirmed it was nothing more than an ice-cold cola, "I can't speak for Nida here, but I'm _already_ as crazy as a road-lizard. At least that's what my wife said when I told her where I was going this morning."

Quistis and Nida both laughed at this, with Nida commenting, "I guess the SeeDs haven't cornered the market on crazy yet."

"Nope," Kenny said, taking a long drink of his cola and sighing in satisfaction. "Though you come damn close."

Quistis came up to Nida then and slipped her arms around his waist. He pulled her close and smiled down at her.

"Thanks for the drink sweetie. You about ready to call it a morning and go get lunch?" He asked her, giving her a quick kiss.

"Yes," she said. Directing her attention to Kenny, she asked, "Would you like to join us?"

The off-duty officer smiled at them and answered, "some other time, perhaps. I've gotta get home so my wife doesn't think I've done something stupid and crashed your car."

Nida laughed at this, "Fair enough. How about we catch a beer next time I'm in town?"

"You got it. Call me any time you want if you need anything." Kenny said, putting his hand out. Nida frowned slightly and shook it, wondering at the man's phrasing, then handed the man his business card.

"Here's my card. Same thing. Call me whenever." Nida said.

Kenny put his hand out again and shook Quistis' hand as well, saying, "Thanks again for the invite. I never expected you to actually do that, but I'm happy you did. It was a lot of fun."

"Thanks for telling me about this track. I might be coming here on a regular basis, if my schedule allows me to." Nida said.

"Well, if you do, clue me in. I'd like another crack at your Sally." Kenny said, moving over to his motorcycle and picking up his jacket.

"You got it. Take care." Nida said.

Kenny nodded and put on his jacket, zipping it up, then his helmet. He mounted his motorcycle, then offered them a final thumbs up before starting its motor and pulling away.

* * *

The silence of the Deling City Public Library was nearly a tangible thing, contained within the pages of the stacks upon stacks of books that resided there. It breathed, that silence; it lived, and had weight and meaning granted to it by that dignified edifice.

Quistis strolled respectfully, quietly among those stacks, paying homage to the silence, appreciating its stateliness and its grace. Her progress through the library was not random; she had a destination in mind, and a purpose to pursue.

Nida, leaving her to her pursuit, had wandered off elsewhere, telling her simply that he'd catch up with her a little later. He knew, despite her never actually having mentioned it to him, what she intended to search for. He was of two minds regarding that search, and did not know if he could contribute anything. Furthermore, he didn't know how he would feel if she should find anything, or if her search proved fruitless.

So, unsure what he should do, he instead left it to Quistis and removed himself from the equation. And felt a coward for doing so.

He had told her everything that he could remember of his early childhood, not that there was much. He honestly didn't know if it would even help, but he did his best to provide her with as much information as he had to give.

Quistis didn't blame him for absenting himself from her quest; she would have felt the same way had it been reversed. But she wanted to at least _try_. She rather suspected that Nida hadn't. Certainly the orphanage hadn't; during the time that Nida had arrived there, so many orphans like him had come in a similar case that researching and recording their names and birth dates had fallen by the wayside in favor of simply surviving the influx.

So, here she was searching for the section of the library that was devoted to vital records: births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and so on.

She marshaled the bare facts about Nida, as she knew them: he was between the age of twenty and twenty-three, and he'd been fairly certain that he was born in Galbadia. That fact was borne out when she, just to be sure, had researched births in Timber for that time frame and had turned up six boys, none of who had ended up in an orphanage. Winhill had only one male child born during that time; Squall.

Deling City had recorded forty boys born during the span of time that Quistis was searching for, and greater Galbadia, including all of the smaller outlying towns and communities, an additional sixteen.

Quistis sighed at this. Fifty-six boys. Not a lot, but still more than she'd expected. Grimly, she bent to the task of sorting them out even further, researching and thus eliminating any boys that had died in infancy or early childhood. Unfortunately, due to the war, the number was distressingly high: fifteen in all, the majority due to injuries.

Interestingly, she came across a couple of names that she recognized during her Timber search: Zone and Watts, learning that Watts was the same age as Rinoa, while Zone was about a year or so older.

The remaining children still encompassed a fairly long list of names, none of which immediately grabbed Quisits as possibly being Nida. The difficulty in determining this arose from the fact that neither Nida nor herself knew if his name was his given name or his family name. Or if it was even his _actual_ name at all. _That_ thought was enough to make Quistis consider giving up. _Almost_ , anyway.

On the first scan of the list, Quistis had ordered them alphabetically by first names. Not finding anything that way, she switched to surnames, again ordering them alphabetically. She still nearly missed it.

"Nabina, Naranda, Nedar, Nelson, Nicholson, Nicos, Nida…." She stopped and double-checked the list again, wondering if she'd mistaken the name. Nida, Christopher A. Born February 2nd, three years before Timber's invasion, in Deling City General Hospital. She stared, heart pounding.

_Was it possible? Had she found him?_ How was it that no one had thought to use Nida as his surname, rather than his given name? Quistis didn't know, but she needed additional information to confirm if this Christopher A. Nida _was_ in fact _her_ Nida.

A search on the name turned up a surprisingly long list; she'd have thought Nida more uncommon a name than it appeared to be. But there had been only one male child of that name born during the span of years that Quistis had been researching. The parents listed on the birth record were David Allen and Renee Elizabeth. Both deceased. Grandparents were also deceased. No other direct relatives living that Quistis could find. At least not without a more exhaustive search, which she didn't have time to do right at the moment.

Glancing at her watch, Quistis was surprised to note that she'd been buried in vital records for well over two hours. She wondered where Nida had gone…he hadn't made any comments for or against what Quistis had intended to do today, answering her questions and giving her as much information as he could. But she could tell he wasn't exactly comfortable with it either. She could guess why.

Looking at the name on the computer again, Quistis selected and printed all the information about Christopher A. Nida that she could. It would take a good bit more research to confirm if this was in fact Nida's real name and birth date, but Quistis had a strong feeling that she was on the right track.

She got up and retrieved the printed paperwork, folding it and putting it into her purse. She could continue the research in Balamb. Now that she had a direction to go, the resources she had to hand would make it much easier to track down and confirm the fates of David and Renee Nida, and of their son Christopher. It might even tell her what the boy's middle name was. Quistis rather liked that idea.

It would be easy enough to connect the dots; they already had a record of the orphanage that Nida had come from in Garden's personnel files.

Quistis left the vital records section and saw Nida's tall form striding down the aisle toward her. She smiled and simply admired him, heart fluttering in her chest as she watched his approach, his body lean and hard, and his every movement graceful and precise. An athlete and a warrior, whose body was his weapon; then she looked up into his face and met his hazel eyes. Warmth, intelligence and humor glittered in those multicolored depths; intelligence that provided an edge to the weapon he was. Warmth and humor to provide humanity to someone whose life and childhood could so easily have extinguished those finer qualities.

"Done?" he asked her.

"For now." She answered.

He paused, then took her hand. Frowning down at it, he caressed the backs of her knuckles with his thumb.

Taking a deep breath, still staring down at their hands as though afraid to meet her eyes, he asked softly, "Find anything?"

Quistis smiled gently. Yes. It meant something to him, something that he was afraid to acknowledge. Still, she hesitated. She wanted to be _sure_ before she told him anything; she didn't want to get his hopes up only to have them dashed if it didn't pan out.

She squeezed his hand gently and answered, "maybe. I have to do a bit more checking to be sure."

He met her eyes then, swallowing then nodding. Licking his lips, he replied, "I understand."

Quistis' heart thumped painfully at the almost lost look in his eyes. He really was an open book, a far cry from Squall's deliberate inscrutability. Perhaps that was why Nida had really never done a field assignment; or perhaps he'd simply decided that in _her_ case, he would hide nothing. She preferred to think the latter, knowing that Nida's skills wouldn't have gained him his ascension to SeeD if he'd been lacking in any way.

"You want to go get dinner now?" He finally asked her, deciding to focus on more mundane concerns for the moment.

"Yes." Quistis said.

"Dancing after, if you're up for it?" Nida asked, one corner of his mouth tilting up in a half-smile.

"Definitely." Quistis smiled back.

Lacing her fingers through his, Nida started toward the Library's lobby, asking, "So what are you in the mood for tonight, dinner-wise?"

"I don't know…nothing too heavy, not if we're going to be dancing afterward." Quistis answered.

Nida raised his eyebrows and said, "It's _dancing_ Quiss, not a marathon. It's not _that_ strenuous."

"It can be if you want it to be," Quistis responded.

"Well, let's get dinner figured out first, then we can argue about the dancing," Nida said with a quirk to his lips.

Quistis laughed softly at that, "I wasn't arguing, just wondering if I should limber up first. I mean, there are all _kinds_ of different dance clubs in Deling. Just want to know what to expect."

"Well…I already know you can do ballroom. We can do that if you want to. There's a rave club we could go to if you're into that, or maybe a honky-tonk…" Quistis snorted at that and Nida grinned at her, "Okay, I'm guessing the honky-tonk's out?"

"Yeah, that's more Irvine's thing. Besides, I suck at two-step." Quistis said.

"Well, it doesn't matter to me what we do. I'm easy." Nida said, releasing her hand to slip his arm around her waist instead.

"I know," Quistis replied with a smirk.

Nida chuckled as he reached for the door handle and opened it for her, then he reclaimed her after they exited the library and walked out into the parking lot where Sally waited for them. The afternoon was well on its way to evening, the light taking on the golden quality that preceded dusk, promising a beautiful sunset in the next hour or so.

Opening the car's door for Quistis, Nida stole a quick kiss from her before closing it and coming around the car to slide into the driver's seat. The engine sprang to life in a throaty growl when he turned the key, something that never failed to thrill him. Then he glanced over at Quistis and she smiled brilliantly, eyes sparkling, and a different sort of thrill fluttered in the pit of his stomach.

"There's a really good seafood place on the waterfront," he suggested. "Care for some grilled seafin?"

"I'm actually kind of surprised that you haven't gotten tired of fish yet," Quistis commented with a smile. His diet while training, protein dense though it was, _had_ been rather heavy on the fish lately.

"I like fish. And we _do_ live on an island so it's a little hard to get away from." Nida said with a shrug as he steered the car out of the library's parking lot and into the flow of traffic, headed toward the wharf. "We could do something else if you'd rather, though I hear this particular place makes a really spectacular fisherman's stew."

"Sounds good," Quistis said, suddenly conscious of how long it had been since lunch.

"I thought so," Nida smiled at her.

They arrived at the restaurant shortly thereafter. Quistis wondered briefly, as they entered and were quickly ushered to a table, if she should have changed clothes or dressed differently. What she was currently wearing; a cream linen pencil skirt and peach colored sleeveless silk top, had been chosen mostly for comfort, as the afternoon had been very warm. As she had no idea _what_ sort of dancing Nida had in mind, she didn't know if it would be appropriate or not.

The cut off shorts and tee shirt she'd worn at the track that morning had been soaked through with sweat and she didn't want to wander around the Deling City library in that getup anyway. Nida too had cleaned up and changed, and looked coolly casual in a white cotton shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows, and blue jeans. To Quistis' admittedly prejudiced eye, it displayed his lean figure wonderfully, making her sigh at the corded strength his forearms displayed beneath the rolled up cuffs of his shirt.

She wasn't the only woman there who was looking either, and she hid her smile at the appreciative glances he received. It gave her a bit of a thrill to have someone so handsome and yet so unaware of it, whose attention was focused solely upon her.

Dinner was a low-key, relaxed affair, and they talked mostly of inconsequential subjects. Quistis knew that Nida was still thinking about her search and what she'd found so far, but had thus far shied away from mentioning it.

"So I was thinking," Nida said as he sipped at his beer. "There's this club I've been to a few times that you may like. Dark, loud, pulsing music, lotta sweaty people pressed close together…"

"Oh?" Quistis asked, intrigued. "Hard rock, techno-pop or rave?"

"Little bit of everything. Hell, I've even seen them put on a slow dance or two. Interested?" He asked, setting his beer down and waiting for her answer.

Quistis smiled, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach. She wasn't one for dance clubs, particularly after she'd split from Sean. Of course, she'd been so frightened that he'd find a way to get at her that she'd literally hidden from the world for _months_. But…she felt safe with Nida. It would be all right.

That was what she told herself anyway, forcibly pushing aside the unsettling encounter in the bookstore just a few weeks ago.

She smiled warmly, firmly ignoring the cold frisson up her spine that the memory gave her, and said, "Sounds like fun."

* * *

There was something primal in the thumping bass pulse of the music that permeated the club. Nida had been right; it was dark, with periodic flashes of strobe lights, noisy, full of people…perfect. Most of the people were indeed pressed close together, the collective warmth and the sexually charged pheromones that they emitted adding to the atmosphere of aggressive sensuality.

Quistis didn't even care what music was playing. She spent the bulk of the time on the dance floor, pressed so close to Nida that she felt as though she was merging with him. Indeed, the uncertain lighting lent itself to covert trysts that Quistis was sure were occurring all around them. Certainly the brief clothing and suggestive movements that were largely in evidence did little to dispel that notion.

And despite the press of people and the very public location, the darkness and the surging crowd created an odd sort of intimacy, making it not only possible but also even probable that more than just _simulated_ sex was taking place on the dance floor.

It was light-years away from anything that Quistis would have ordinarily done. Now however, she couldn't think of anyplace that she would rather be, right at that moment.

The music slowed from its frenetic rhythm to something slower, sweeter, and more sensual, and Quistis swayed with Nida, paying scant attention to the dance itself. She closed her eyes and leaned into him, letting her sweat mingle with his, inhaling the warm, clean scent of his exertions. His heart thudded beneath her ear as he caught his breath from the last, very energetic song that they'd danced to.

It was a moment, one of many that she'd had recently with Nida, that she wanted to stand still and simply savor. Let it sink into her memory and color her life. Become a part of her past _and_ her future. Resting her head against his chest with her eyes closed, Quistis couldn't help thinking that she was a better person for having him in her life. A braver one, certainly.

She sighed deeply and let go of her tension and anxiety, letting it hiss out of her with her breath. Nothing was there that could hurt her, not while Nida held her in his arms. She felt safe there, protected. Raising her head from his chest, she met his lips and kissed him, a slow, lingering and wetly inflammatory kiss. He tightened his arms around her and simply held her, his warmth and the combined sweat from their exertions welding them together and making Quistis suddenly wish that they were both naked and alone.

Nida's mind was obviously running along the same track, evidenced when he pulled back and whispered breathlessly, "Let's get out of here and head back to our room."

"Yes." Quistis whispered back, seizing his lower lip gently between her teeth, drawing it in and sucking on it briefly before letting him go and stepping back.

Heat shot straight to his groin and Nida growled deep in his throat, giving her a look that was equal parts lust and frustration. She smiled back at him, a secret smile full of promise and allure, eyes glittering in the uncertain light. Slipping his arm around her waist, he guided her through the throngs of undulating humanity, the pulsing music thumping in time with his heart, with a tightening, uncomfortable echo in his trousers.

They slipped through the crowd, intent only upon each other, completely unaware of the hot, hostile glare of the tall man who had been watching them intently, hidden against the club's wall in deep shadow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: WHOOO! At LAST! I don't know why it's taken me so long to finish this chapter...too many distractions at hand to draw my attention away from it, i guess. Those distractions are decreasing, so I SHOULD be able to concentrate more readily on this and my other stories. I'm not giving up on this one, despite the fact that it's not my most popular story and I take so long to update it. So, yeah, I'm gonna keep at it. Be patient with me.


	18. Unasked Questions

Cadet Michelle Howe lashed out in a whirling arc of deadly blades, hacking and slashing both of the attacking grats with impressive speed. She ducked and dodged the third that attempted attack, leaving room for Trey to summon Loki to handle it

Quistis stood off to the side, whip ready, but acting only as an observer on this training session.

Cadet Stone took his stance and concentrated, and Quistis frowned, watching the summon intently. Grats were slow moving creatures for the most part, perfect for cadets that were getting used to new GFs. They always started out a bit slow to respond to the cadet at first, until they got used to working together.

Loki's appearance this time was a great deal faster than the first time Quistis saw Trey using it, though it was still one of the slower moving Guardians. Trey would have to learn to work around that limitation. Loki's powerful fire attacks were definitely worth the wait, but the amount of time it took to show up would be a serious drawback in a very tight situation.

Reality rippled as the Guardian manifested, crawling from a pool of magma, hissing and steaming, quickly changing from the red-hot of molten rock to a glossy black with a pattern of red spots all over, yellow eyes burning like the flames it had just emerged from. It then sent a searing stream of liquid fire at the grat, burning it to ash in an instant. Job done, it turned sinuously and retreated back to its fiery dimension with a final hiss like the roaring of flame.

"Well, that was a lot faster than the last time" Quistis commented as they headed toward the exit.

"Yeah, its getting a little better every time," Trey said. "Still kind of tough to get used to though."

"Just keep working with it. Some GFs take longer than others to develop an affinity for a person. This one's likely never been junctioned before. It's certainly not on the list of known elementals." Quistis said.

"There's a GF list?" Michelle asked, interested.

"Of course," Qusitis answered. "You all know your Guardians are registered under your I.D.s right? Well, over the years Garden compiled a lot of data on all of the GFs that SeeDs and cadets captured and registered. That data was analyzed and the Guardians were grouped by type and where they were found. From that data it became easier to locate areas that had the highest probability of containing new GFs."

"Oh." Michelle said. "I didn't know that. I just figured Garden registered GFs so it would know which cadets and SeeDs would work best in certain situations."

"Well, that's certainly part of it," Quistis replied. "I know for a fact that Squall is very analytical about choosing which SeeDs to send out on which assignment. And yes, the type of GF they work best with is factored into it."

They continued along the marked trail, enjoying the brief respite from battle in the freshness of the semi-tropical vegetation and the warm, humid atmosphere. They came upon a clearing as they were walking and saw a battle in progress, and they stopped to wait for the battle to conclude so as not to interrupt. It was part of Training Center etiquette to stay out of other people's battles unless they were in dire need of help. In this case, it was unlikely to be a problem, not with the individuals that were involved.

Cadets Howe and Stone, along with Quistis, watched with avid interest as Cadet Sage Treide fought a pair of grats in tandem with Squall. Seifer hung back, observing them both with a frown of concentration on his face. Once the battle was concluded, Seifer joined them and offered his observations.

Watching them, Trey commented, "Man, I don't know if I should feel jealous or sorry for that kid."

"What do you mean?" Michelle asked him.

"Well, on the one hand, he's got one-on-one instruction from two of the best gunbladers in existence and on the other..." His voice trailed off.

"On the other, he's got one-on-one instruction from two of the most merciless taskmasters in Garden. Poor kid's got no choice but to excel, they won't accept anything less." Quistis finished wryly.

"Don't feel too sorry for that guy. He's been strutting around Garden like nobody's business since they picked him for their team," Michelle said with a snort.

"Well he's got to be good or they wouldn't bother. They certainly keep him busy enough that he's not obnoxious about it." Trey said.

"He's definitely good academically," Quistis said, gesturing with her head for them to continue toward the exit. They left the tableau of the young cadet listening raptly as Squall and Seifer both praised and analyzed his performance and technique.

"So, he's going to be on the next field exam?" Michelle asked.

"Yes."

"Any idea of when that will be?" Trey asked.

"Soon. We're still working out the details, Squall and I. But it _will_ be soon. Squall wants Cadet Treide to make SeeD before the final qualifying match for the games." Quistis answered.

The two cadets exchanged a look, with the young man commenting, "That's...quite a gamble that the Commander's taking."

"He feels that Cadet Treide is worth it." Quistis responded.

They reached the exit and prepared to leave, both cadets satisfied with their training session and the instruction that Quistis had given them.

"Thanks for coming with us, Instructor Trepe," Cadet Howe said. "I was really starting to worry about losing my edge."

Trey snorted, "Little chance of _that_. Those twin blades of yours are lethal!"

He pushed the doors open and held them for Quistis and Michelle to exit, everyone sighing in relief at the cooler, drier air of Garden proper.

"One thing that may increase your compatibility with Loki is to junction higher level fire spells like firaga or meteor." Quistis suggested.

"I guess I'll have to do some spell refining." Trey said.

"If you need help with that, just ask. I've gotten pretty good at refining spells and raw materials." Michelle offered.

Trey smiled over at her, "Thanks! I might just. I'll let you know what I've got to work with when I get back to my room."

"Excellent!" Quistis smiled at both cadets, pleased with their apparent cooperation. "So, I'll see you guys tomorrow morning, bright and early in Classroom 233A, right?"

"Right!" Cadet Howe said, with Cadet Stone echoing her.

"Very good!" Quistis said with a nod and dismissed them saying, "unless you two need anything further, the rest of the day is yours."

* * *

Quistis checked her watch, wondering if she had time to catch up with Nida. His training activities, coupled with his job, had made it difficult for the two of them to get together as often as they both would like.

He'd been spending a lot of time lately in the MD levels as well, which usually meant that Garden was preparing to mobilize again. That, more than anything, was an indication to Quistis that the next field exam was going to be happening soon. She expected a summons from Squall at any moment to hash out the details.

And then there was her personal research project on Nida's behalf, which meant that she'd have to go through his personnel records in Garden with a fine-toothed comb. He didn't mind, he'd already given her permission, which had actually surprised her despite how intimate they were. Of course, she didn't recall hearing anything _negative_ about him, but still, that level of trust was nothing short of amazing. Quistis wasn't sure that she'd be able to reciprocate; there were things in _her_ personnel file that she'd much rather didn't exist.

Of course, getting access to Nida's records would be something of a trick; they were locked in a file cabinet in Squall's office along with the records of all the other SeeDs in Garden. She _could_ simply ask Squall... And then try to explain exactly what she wanted with them. _Or_...she could ask Xu for help.

Xu could get her into Squall's office without anyone finding out that she didn't want to know about it.

So thinking, she headed for the elevator, intending to talk to Xu (and maybe, just maybe, say a quick hello to Nida) before Squall made it back from the Training Center. As luck would have it, she encountered her just as she exited the elevator.

"Xu! Oh, good, I was hoping I'd run into you." Quistis said, then asked, "Are you going to be busy for the next few minutes?"

"Not really, I was just headed out to the Quad for a bit of air. What did you need?" Xu asked curiously.

Taking a deep breath to quell a sudden fluttering in her stomach, Quistis began, "Okay, first of all, I totally have permission from Nida to do this, but I don't want to bug Squall with it."

"With what?" Xu asked, pleasantly bland expression giving nothing away.

"I'm doing a...a personal research project for Nida...and I need access to his personnel records." Quistis answered, adding, "I know, it sounds weird maybe, or obsessed, but I wanted to see what I could find there that might...answer some questions."

Xu's expression became guarded and she asked, "And Nida's okay with this?"

"Yes. He knows what I'm trying to do." Quistis answered, nodding for emphasis.

Xu frowned and asked, "What _is_ it, exactly, that you're trying to do Quistis?"

Quistis hesitated, then sighed and told her friend, "I'm trying to find Nida's name. His _real_ name, not the one that Garden gave him...and maybe from there I could find just a little information about his family."

Xu's frown deepened and she said,, "Quistis, Cid and Edea, they _tried_. They looked everywhere and couldn't find anything. Whatever records that may have existed were probably destroyed. The only thing we know for certain is that Nida came to Garden via an orphanage in Galbadia, and he had been brought there from Timber after the invasion. What records existed in _that_ orphanage were sketchy at best."

"I'm playing a hunch Xu. I just need to look at what Garden has on file for him." Quistis replied, adding, "and...Squall doesn't need to know about this."

Xu folded her arms across her chest and gave Quistis a severe look, saying, "And if he catches you going through the personnel files without his permission, who do you think is going to take the heat for it?"

Quistis licked her lips and glanced at her watch. Squall had gotten a pretty good workout in the Training Center, so he'd shower before coming back up to his office. They had _some_ time, but not alot, and arguing with Xu about it was eating into that time.

"Look, Xu, Squall was in the Training Center when I headed up here, and if he's done he's going to shower before coming back. I just need a few minutes. Please." Quistis said, all but begging her.

Xu sighed, finally capitulating, "All right. But...be prepared for what you find there. It may surprise you."

Turning to walk up the hallway toward Squall's office, Xu said, "I'll knock twice when I see him coming, and I'll delay him so you can get out without his noticing."

"Thanks Xu! I owe you! Anything you want." Quistis offered as Xu unlocked Squall's office door.

Xu thought for a moment, then said, "Full package deal at Anton's salon."

Quistis grinned at her and responded, "Just tell me when and I'll set it up with him."

"Okay. We'll talk about it over lunch tomorrow." Xu said, opening the door, dropping the keys into Quistis' hand and stepping back. "Make it quick, Quistis."

Quistis nodded and stepped into the office, closing the door behind her and quickly crossing over to the banks of file cabinets along the far wall, searching for the keys that opened them as she did. Upon finding the cabinet that she needed, she tried key after key until she finally found the one that fit, and opened the drawer that contained Nida's file.

Checking her watch, she opened the file and rested it atop the opened drawer, pen and notepad handy. She began leafing through it, searching for the earliest records, and regretting her lack of time as she caught glimpses in passing of some _very_ interesting things.

Unfortunately, she had no time to examine everything in depth, so she kept going until she found his earliest records: Intake date, originating orphanage, probable age at time of admittance... And even better, all the records from Nida's original orphanage in Galbadia, which was apparently now defunct. Quistis jotted down as much of the information as she could, wishing she could simply photocopy the page. She didn't however. The copier was noisy and Squall would notice if it had been used.

She hoped that what she had found would be enough, then started at two sharp raps on the door. Heart in her throat, she quickly put the papers back in order, closed the file and slipped it back into its original location, shutting and locking the file cabinet. Hurrying to the door, Quistis pressed her ear against it and listened to Xu's muffled voice fade away as she presumably approached Squall to keep him occupied while Quistis snuck out of his office.

Cautiously opening the door and peering out into a thankfully empty hallway, Quistis quickly exited the office and locked the door, and, in a quick flash of inspiration, headed up to the flying bridge where Nida was currently on duty.

Nida looked up as she exited the lift, grinning, then said, "Hi Quistis, what brings you up here?"

Coming up to him, she slipped her arms around his waist and gave him a quick peck on the lips.  
"I begged Xu to sneak me into Squall's office so I could look at your personnel file. Just to fill in some blanks. So, I need you to hold onto these and give them to her as soon as you can." She answered, pressing the keys that Xu had given her into his hand.

"See anything interesting?" He asked her, one eyebrow raised.

"Lots, but only in passing. Quite a lot of it seemed to have been marked in red. I wasn't paying much attention to that though, to be honest. I was mostly looking for your orphanage records and anything that Cid and Edea managed to find." She answered.

"I see. And Squall didn't need to know about this because...?" He prompted, voice trailing off.

"Because it's personal, and none of his concern. Besides, I didn't want to try and explain it to him. I'd rather just give him the results once I've finished my research." Quistis explained.

"Easier to beg pardon than ask permission, huh?" Nida commented with a grin. Then he reached out and pulled her into his arms, kissing her gently on the forehead. "If anyone can find my real name, it's you. You've got researching stuff down to a science."

"I appreciate your confidence," Quistis said, warmed by his faith in her. Sighing, she glanced at her watch, adding, "I've got to go. I have a class to teach, lunch, then back here to do my bit with Squall and Cid."

"Any possibilities on the assistant search?" Nida asked her.

"A few. Squall's interviewing a couple this afternoon." Quistis answered.

"Well, good luck with that. See you later tonight?" he asked her with a smile.

"Definitely." she answered, kissing him again.

He smiled at her, then said softly, "If you have any questions about my file, feel free to ask."

"I will, don't worry. I'll see you later." she smiled again at him, then left the bridge.

Squall was nowhere in evidence on the office floor, and Quistis got into the elevator that led to the main floor with a sigh of relief. The information that she had in her hands now might answer her questions or simply generate some that had not been asked before. It was hard to tell, but when she was embroiled in a research project like this, it was always just fragmented bits and pieces at first. It took time to analyze all the little snippets and see where they related to each other.

She mentally reviewed what she had so far, and wondered about the soldier that had ushered Nida to the orphanage, the Headmistress that had taken him in, the teachers and caregivers that had worked there. Interviewing them, if they still lived, wouldn't hurt at all and might even help. Starting with the name of the orphanage would net the rest of it, she was sure, and the name was part of what she'd written down. She would find his origins, his identity...it was just a matter of time.

* * *

Nida watched Quistis leave, smiling slightly. Things were continuing apace between them, and despite how busy they both were, they managed to get together more often than not. In fact, dinner tonight would be at his place, and he was looking forward to hearing what Quistis had learned from her investigations.

The sound of the lift ascending caught his attention and he turned to see who it was, smiling as Xu stepped off the platform.

"Hi Xu," he greeted her as she approached him.

"I just ran into Quistis. She wanted to get a look at your personnel file on the down low. You gave her permission?" she asked curiously. "You're not worried about what she'll see there?"

Nida shook his head, frowning, "No. Why should I be? She's a SeeD just like we are."

Xu sighed, "I know. But sometimes I think you're far too trusting."

"I'm pretty good at knowing who to trust Xu, you should know." Nida replied. "By the way, here." he said, handing her keys back to her. "Quistis wanted to make sure you got these."

"Thanks," Xu said, returning them to her pocket. "When are you guys going to take this public? Why the secrecy?"

"By _this_ I'm assuming you're referring to our relationship and not Quistis' investigation into my past?" Nida asked. At Xu's nod he sighed, then answered with a shrug, "I don't know, maybe after the SeeD games. It's not like we're trying to hide anything, but Quistis is a very private person. If someone asks about us, I'll answer, but so far no one has."

"I think the reason for that is the fact that Selphie's had her own affairs to concentrate on. Hasn't had much time to worry about anyone else's. She's apparently hooked up with Irvine again, and this time it's looking serious." Xu said.

"Hopefully it'll work out for them this time." Nida replied. "Too bad they both got sent off on assignments."

"Yeah, and that would be another reason. They're both due back by the end of this week, right?" Xu asked.

"Right." Nida answered. "She'll probably be too busy welcoming Irvine back to pay attention to Quistis and I. Pretty sure we'll be left alone for awhile yet."

"How's the training going for the decathlon?" Xu asked.

"Not bad. I'm getting a little bit better on the discus and shot-put events. My form's improving anyway. And I'm still running of course." He smirked a little, adding, "and I chase Squall a bit from time to time too."

"I can't wait to see you pole vault. You're going to kill in that!" Xu grinned at him.

Nida grinned back, "Glad for the encouragement. So can I count on you and Quistis cheering for me?"

"You have to ask me that? Of course! We all will!" Xu assured him. Checking her watch, she said, "I'd better go. Have a good day Nida."

"You too Xu." He sketched a wave at her as she left.

Left to his own devices once again, he began thinking about his plans with Quistis for the evening. Wanting to show off his culinary skills this time around, he decided that he'd broil a couple of steaks that he'd taken from his freezer that morning for that specific purpose. They were currently thawing in his refrigerator, and would hopefully be thawed enough to cook by the time he got home. To go with the steaks, he was considering steamed vegetables of some sort. What though, he was still deciding on. He supposed it would depend on what he had in his freezer, as he hadn't managed to go shopping.

And to drink? He waffled between beer or wine. Quistis was okay with either, and really, since he was so physically active now, he could indulge if he wanted a beer. He couldn't recall if he had any left or not though. He did however have a nice red wine, if he was out of beer.

His workday wound down around mid-afternoon when his relief came up to man the comms and status readouts. Nida had been up since dawn, and had already done his running workout, but he still needed to work on his strength and practice his field events. So he headed straight to the gym from work. He spent the next several hours training, arriving back at his apartment afterward exhausted but satisfied with his progress. He'd showered at the gym already so all he had to do was start cooking. Qusitis was due to arrive in just under an hour, and while she didn't mind pitching in, he didn't want her to feel that she had to.

Taking the steaks from the fridge and noticing that they were still slightly frozen, he ran some cold water into the sink and placed the steaks in to speed up the thawing process. Meanwhile, he started heating up the broiler and got a pan and some seasonings ready.

Quistis arrived shortly after he'd put them on to broil, saying, "This smells good!"

"Thanks hon. You'd cooked dinner enough for me, I thought I'd return the favor." Nida said with a smile.

"Well, thank you, but don't feel as though you have to keep score." Quistis replied.

"I don't." Nida said, coming up to her and slipping his hands around her waist, giving her a quick kiss. "I wanted to do this for you for a change."

"Thanks," Quistis smiled at him. "I'm surprised you had the energy, what with your training, and working back down in the MD level and so on.."

"I didn't have to do much, just make sure everything was shipshape." Nida said, shugging and turning back to the broiler to check on the steaks. "How do you like your steak by the way?"

"Medium rare." Quistis answered.

"Perfect," He declared. "Me too. Wine?"

"Please."

"Coming right up."

Nida quickly took out two wineglasses and filled them, handing one to Quistis. Then, as the steaks were done, he set his glass on the table and took out two plates and a set of utensils, dishing up the food and placing both plates on the table. He held Quistis' chair for her as she sat down, stealing a soft kiss on her cheek as he seated her. Then he sat down across from her and smiled as she began to eat with apparent relish, rolling her eyes at him in pleasure while she chewed.

Conversation was sporadic as they ate, mostly general pleasantries. When they finished, Quistis helped with clean up and they retreated to the couch in Nida's living room with a final glass of wine each, feeling nicely mellow.

"I love a good steak," She sighed.

"so do I." Nida agreed. Then he asked, "So how was your day today?"

"Well, I got some information I needed this morning, thanks to Xu, so now I have more to work with," Quistis answered.

"That's good to hear. Any questions about anything else that you might have seen?" Nida asked.

"Not really. I skimmed over that stuff. It wasn't relevant to what I was looking for and so none of my business." Qustis said, sipping at her wine.

"You know you only have to ask if there's anything you want to know, right?" Nida asked her.

"I know. I spent the afternoon sorting out applicants for the position of Squall's assistant, lined up a few more possibilities for him." Quistis said. "Oh, and Squall's meeting with me and the cadets scheduled for the next field exam tomorrow morning. We're going over the last one and he's going to give us some details on when and where the next one is taking place."

"That's good to hear, I know you and all those kids have been on pins and needles about it." Nida commented.

"Yeah, we have." Quistis agreed. "And time's running short. Squall's got to do another field exam soon if he wants his gunblader, Sage, to graduate in time for the games."

Nida nodded. Tilting his head, he studied her for a moment in silence. Quistis raised an eyebrow, wondering at his expression. She didn't wonder long, however. Apparently coming to a decision, he took a long drink of his wine, emptying the glass, before setting it down upon the coffee table and turning toward her. Reaching out, he brushed his fingers gently along her cheek, and Quistis closed her eyes, leaning into the light caress.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she answered, opening her eyes to smile at him.

"Who's Sean?"

* * *

She was taunting him. Flaunting herself with her new beau. She thought she was being careful, discreet, but only in Balamb. Here, in Deling City, she was anything but circumspect. He had to wonder if it was a deliberate taunt.

Lurid red light dimly illuminated the small, airless room that was decorated by strings of drying photographs extending from wall to wall. A small, shallow tray on a worktable beneath contained a liquid solution in which a rectangle of white was gradually darkening into a pattern of light and dark. A timer chimed and the photograph was lifted out of the solution to join the others on the line to dry.

The photographs were black and white studies of various locations in the city, all of them focused upon a single subject: A young woman. Tall, blond, and willowy, she was sometimes alone, sometimes in the company of a dark-haired young man. The pictures all shared a common theme in that the subjects were photographed candidly, as though they were unaware of being observed, as indeed they were not. The photographer had stalked his subjects very carefully to be sure of it.

He didn't want her to see him again until he was ready for her to. He wanted to be the last thing she saw.

He'd let her see him in the bookstore only because he'd wanted to put her on notice, and to see once again that delicious flare of fear spark in her eyes at the sight of him. She did not disappoint. The surprise encounter had been the high point of his day, and it had sparked the obsession that had lain dormant until he'd seen her again.

He'd waited to see if she'd sic her SeeD dogs on him after that, but she didn't. Instead, she fled back to Balamb, perhaps thinking the encounter to be happenstance, which indeed it was...then.

Emboldened by this, he began tracking her in earnest. But she had disappeared back into her refuge; and Balamb Garden was a formidable one, guarded by a commander that frankly, scared him. If he was seen in Balamb, his life span would be measured in seconds. So stalking her on her occasional forays into Deling City was his only option, and she did not make it easy.

Trailing a SeeD on the move was a challenging task, one that he relished.

Still, her frequent visits to Deling City appeared to have a pattern, and it did not take long for him to figure out what it was. Thus far, he was intent only on observing her movements. She was frequently in the company of the same dark-haired man, and some of their interactions hinted at a romantic attachment between the two.

It made him curious about the man, and who he was. Finding that out had been harder than he'd thought it would be, which hinted at the man being a SeeD. SeeD zealously guarded information about it's personnel like it was a state secret.

So. Quistis was dating a fellow SeeD, which made her feel safe.

He would have to reinforce the lesson he'd taught her all those months ago; safety was an illusion.

Jealousy surged through him. Quistis was _his_. He'd made her a promise that no one else could have her. He would _never_ let her go.

His hands flexed as he imagined them closing around her graceful, fragile neck. She would fight back, of course. She always did. It was ingrained in her as a SeeD; it was one of the things he'd loved the most about her. No matter how much punishment he dished out, she did her best to give as good as she got. It gave him a real rush to beat the fight out of her and take her while she was at his mercy.

That inner core of steely resilience, so cleverly hidden by her soft skin, golden hair and brilliant blue eyes, made him yearn to posses her utterly. Take her. Break her. Finally, make her his slave.

Or, failing that, punish her for her audacity to move on and try and live her life without him.

It wasn't impossible to kill a SeeD. In fact, they died with monotonous regularity. But they weren't _easy_ to kill either. It might mean his death, to try.

So he would have to plan carefully.

If he couldn't have her, _nobody_ could.

* * *

Quistis stared at Nida, blood draining from her face as she whispered, "How..do you know that name?"

"You have bad dreams sometimes, sweetheart. I hear that name a lot during the worst ones." NIda answered gently. "Who was he?"

Quistis swallowed and looked away, wrapping her arms around her middle. Nida frowned at her defensive posture but remained silent, waiting.

Finally, she answered in a low voice, "He was...my boyfriend. And my biggest mistake."

She fell silent, unwilling to elaborate. She _didn't_ want to see pity, or anger, or sympathy in Nida's eyes for what a blind, stupid fool she'd been. She _certainly_ did not want to relive the descent into hell that the relationship had turned into.

But she also did not want Nida to feel that she couldn't trust him to bear the worst part of her personal history. If, after she told him the whole sad, sordid tale, he found that he could _not_ , well, at least she would know before their relationship went any further. Best to get it over with now, so if he did indeed bolt, the damage to her would be minimal.

Even as that thought surfaced however, she knew it to be a lie. It would rip her heart out if Nida left her. It would prove that he was not the man she thought he was. _That_ would be more soul crushing than simply losing him.

The silence stretched for several minutes before Nida finally said quietly, "It's okay honey. You don't have to tell me now." He reached out and took her hand, gently prying it away from her stomach, then lifting it to his lips and kissing it softly.

"You can tell me when you're ready."

Suddenly, tears welled in Quistis's eyes and she closed them.

"No. No, I should tell you now." she whispered. "I probably should have told you sooner but...I was afraid."

"Would it help if I told you what I _heard_? It wasn't much, but it was enough to give me the sense that the relationship was...damaging."

"Well that's...accurate." she said on a short, humorless laugh.

Now that she'd resolved to tell him about Sean, she suddenly found herself at a loss of where to start. Besides, she was curious about exactly how much scuttlebutt had been circulated, knowing how tight-lipped both Squall and Irvine had been over their part in it.

"Tell me what you've heard then." Quistis said.

"Well, honestly, not much, only that it ended badly enough that Squall and Irvine had somehow gotten involved. And then there was your extended leave immediately afterward. But no real details." Nida replied with a shrug.

Quistis sighed, running her hand through her hair, saying, "Well, that's vague enough."

She took a deep breath, steeling herself, squeezing his hand on reflex. Tears pricked at her eyes as Nida squeezed back and continued to hold her hand in a solid, comforting grip as she slowly, hesitantly told him about Sean.

She didn't spare herself any blame She thought she should have seen what Sean was right away. The fact that he was _so good_ at his act that he fooled _her_ was the worst part. Intellectually, she knew that sociopathic narcissists like Sean were extremely hard to spot, but she still felt stupid for falling for him.

So, she laid it all out for Nida, how Sean wooed her, and won her. She told him how, once Sean felt that he'd gotten her "locked down", he set about gradually dismantling her self-esteem, confidence and sense of self to the point that instead of fighting back the first time he hit her, she apologized.

Nida simply sat and listened, allowing her the space to tell the story at her own pace and in her own words, never releasing his grasp upon her hand. She clung to it like it was her lifeline, which in a way, it was. The warmth of his hand on hers helped to keep her from getting lost in her memories.

"It was so... _gradual_... So insidious, how he picked and picked, making everything sound so reasonable, so logical, and making me feel as though I was the one being selfish and overly emotional. Of _course_ , he'd want me to come straight home, because I was a SeeD and our jobs are dangerous, and he missed me.. Of course he would be jealous of the time I spent working with Squall, who wouldn't? He was handsome, strong, and I'd already admitted I once had a crush on him, why wouldn't I give in to temptation? Never mind that Squall was newly married and had never been interested; that didn't matter, because you know how guys are. They can't be trusted. And apparently, neither could I." Quistis laughed shortly, staring down at their joined hands.

"The first time he hit me, it was because I had the audacity to cut my hair without consulting him. The second time was because I answered back at him. The third time was because we'd been invited to go out with some friends, and he was sure I'd been flirting with the bartender or something. I made the mistake of smiling at the man, if I recall correctly. That was the first time I had to call in at Garden. Even with the healing potion it took three days before I could come in to work." It was a pattern that would repeat itself over and over, getting worse each time, for several months.

Things came to a head when Quistis had tried to resign her teaching position. That alone had been more than enough to tip Squall off that something was wrong, but he'd already been watching her closely by that point. He'd refused of course, confining her to Garden, and ordering her to attend counseling until both he and the counselor deemed her safe to return to active duty.

Then Squall and Irvine had quietly disappeared, returning several hours later with all of Quistis' belongings that she'd left behind at Sean's house...and the assurance that he would never bother her again.

"I don't know _exactly_ what they did, I only know that they didn't kill him." Quistis said. "Squall gave me a standing order to notify him immediately if I or anyone else reported seeing him in Balamb. I never did, so I have to assume they escorted him out of town and told him not to return."

"You saw him in Deling City, didn't you?" Nida finally asked, recalling her sudden nervousness their first weekend together.

"Yes, but... he never said or did anything. He just...stared at me. And then he left. I haven't seen him since. Deling City's pretty big, and it's more populated than Balamb. It's possible we ran across each other by happenstance and won't cross paths again." Quistis said with a tight shrug.

"Perhaps. But just in case, keep your backup weapon on you at all times, if you go back there. Especially if you go anywhere alone." Nida said with a frown.

Quistis nodded. She had taken to doing exactly that, after that first encounter. As she'd told Nida, she hadn't seen Sean again, but she did get the odd notion that she was being watched now and again. It angered her that merely seeing the man again had brought back echoes of paranoia and fear. But she was stronger now. Strong enough to defend herself if he _ever_ dared lay hands on her again.

Finally, she said, "Well, I'm not going to Deling City for a while anyway."

"Oh? Why?" Nida asked her.

"I've got a line of inquiry I want to follow up in Timber. There's also that field exam coming up soon, and then there's the fact that you're going to be busy training still, and it's just no fun to go without you." She answered, smiling at him.

Nida chuckled softly at this, saying, "I love you too, honey. Care for some kissy-face before bedtime?"

Quistis snorted, "Kissy-face? Really?"

"Yes. Really. I'm feeling horrendously deprived. And we're out of wine. So...?" Nida grinned at her engagingly, tongue very firmly in cheek. His grin broadened as Quistis finally laughed softly at him, set her empty wineglass down on the coffee table and seized his face with her two hands, kissing him firmly.

Then lust grabbed him firmly by the balls, and he took over, pulling her close and kissing her until they were both flushed and panting.

"I like kissy face," Quistis whispered when they came up for air.

"Then lets go to bed and continue...this." Nida murmured before planting another hot, wet kiss on her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then. THIS has been a LONG time coming. Several reasons for that, one of them being the fact that for whatever reason, I lost steam on it and let other stories, other projects, drag my attention away. So, for three long years, this story has languished in hiatus. My resolution for this year, if you can call it that, was to FINISH all of my in-progress stories. This one, I knew was going to be a real challenge since it HAD been so long since I even TRIED to write for it. Plus, life kept getting in the way: My mother died, and I had to move my brother from my parents' mobile home to an apartment closer to me so I could keep an eye on him (He's a little bit challenged, mentally) and help him out with stuff. SO that takes up a good bit of my time, helping him get groceries, making sure his rent is paid, and so on. There were other losses, other challenges.. I had to move myself, earlier this year, and I'm still recovering from it. The last few years have been challenging in general. But I DO plan on finishing this story and this update is the first of I hope many before I finally complete this and move on to the next one.
> 
> For those of you who are following this story and haven't given up on it, THANK YOU!


	19. Danse Roulette

Quistis sat in the lecture hall with her prospective SeeDs, listening as Squall presented the final analysis of the last field exam's falure and his solution on the next one.

One might think such subject matter would be extremely dry and boring, but on the contrary, it was fascinating, and not only to her, but the cadets as well. Quistis was honestly surprised that Squall was able to present such information in a clear, concise and understandable manner, knowing as she did how little he cared for such things.

Then again, mentoring an aspiring young gunblader had served in turn to help _him_ to learn how to teach. Or if not _teach_ , exactly, to present information to whomever needed to hear it. While Quistis doubted that Squall would turn in his gunblade for a teaching license, she could not deny that the experience _had_ improved him as a commander, at least in regard to his public speaking abilities.

"Part of the failure of the previous field exam," he was saying. "could be attributed to the environmental conditions, coupled with the types of GFs that the cadets were using. There _were_ protocols in place which had taken that into account, but the intelligence on the target area had not revealed the fuel dump, nor the fact that the individuals we had been sent in to neutralize had soaked the surrounding forest in petrol. The resulting conflagration was exacerbated by the extremely dry conditions of the forest, and there were simply not enough water or ice based spells junctioned by either you cadets or the proctors in attendance, to deal with it. That we managed to get away without a greater loss of life is largely due to Xu and Instructor Trepe's actions." Squall nodded to her, and Quistis nodded back in acknowledgement.

During this pause, a cadet raised his hand and asked, "So, when are we doing the next field exam then? and where?"

" _When_ will be two weeks from now. I know you've kept yourselves sharp, Quistis has been working with you all since the last exam. As for _where_ ," Squall quirked his lips in a half smile, "you'll find out when you leave, just like any other field exam. Rest assured, we will _not_ fail this one. We've added additional senior SeeDs as proctors, and carefully analyzed our strategies with regard to the GF's that you are all using. We _will_ be ready."

The cadet nodded, satisfied.

Several more questions along that same vein were asked, with Squall deftly sidestepping them, disappointing those cadets who hoped to tease some additional information about the upcoming test from him.

Quistis had already given Squall a throrough analysis of each of her students' weaknesses and strengths, and he had a complete list of the GF's they used and which ones they were most compatible with. It was an unusually large group, this time around, with the inclusion of the cadets from the previous exam along with new ones who had qualified in the interim.

That was both good and bad. It had made those extra proctors necessary in order to provide for a thorough evaluation of all the cadets. More senior SeeDs than would ordinarily be used in a field exam, nearly double the number, in fact. It meant that there were that much fewer SeeDs available for other projects as a result.

On the other hand, while the cadets' part in the Field Exam was for grading and evaluation, it _was_ in fact a job contracted for a client. It was a real-life situation which required real-life results. And casualties were nearly always a part of it. A good field exam accomplished what it set out to do; complete a contract while simultaneously testing potential SeeDs. A _bad_ one, as had already been seen...ended in both lives _and_ revenue lost.

The cadets were dismissed shortly afterward. As they filed out, Squall caught Quistis' eye and motioned for her to follow him as he headed toward the door himself.

As she fell into step beside him, she handed him a folder and said, "Here's the prospectus for the field exam. I've noted my observations in the spaces you left. Overall, I think it's a good strategy you've worked up. I'm sure Cid and Xu will agree. And the client should agree to the solution you've presented."

"Thanks. I hate leaving loose ends." Squall said, tucking the folder under his arm with the rest of his paperwork.

"I assume the intel has been thoroughly vetted?" Quistis asked as they made their way back to the lift and the offices in Garden's Command Center.

Squall nodded, "As thoroughly as we were able to. You know how that is."

Quistis nodded. Gathering information prior to embarking upon any action was always a process fraught with danger and uncertainty. For the most part, the sources that Squall and Garden worked with were reliable. But things could and did change constantly, and the fluid nature of what they did made mental flexibility a must, not only for Squall as commander, but for all the SeeDs and cadets preparing to implement Squall's battle plan. That was part of the test.

"No battle plan survives the first engagement." Quistis quoted, following him into the lift.

"Precisely." He stabbed the button for the second floor.

The lift dinged its signal that they'd arrived and the doors whooshed open.

As they left, Squall asked, "Off to shadow Cid for a bit?"

Quistis nodded, "Yeah. For the next few hours anyway. If you want though, I can look through a few more applicants. Are you doing any interviews today?"

"I've got about four lined up." He answered, pausing at his office door and unlocking it.

"Well, I'll see you later then," Quistis said, leaving him and heading toward Cid's office.

Shadowing Cid to learn the duties of Headmaster, so far as Quistis was able to discern, mostly consisted of her acting as his assistant.. and by extension, Squall's as well. She realized there was a reason for this; the more time she spent with him and observed him, despite it being in a somewhat demeaning capacity, the more she saw of how he actually ran Garden.

While irritating on the surface, she knew that Squall and Cid both were banking on her observational talents to learn what she needed over and above what Cid was teaching her. So she watched, and tried not to be overly bored as she made and answered calls for Cid, filed paperwork (and mentally ground her teeth at the frustrating lack of logic in his filing system), and gradually began to get a feel for the job and what it entailed. She also began to think of how _she_ would do it.

Most of the calls to Balamb Garden came through on the main line, even those meant solely for Squall, Cid or anyone else in the command staff, herself included. Very few people, even clients, had their direct lines. So even clients had to be transferred in to their extensions, most of the time. Quistis had done her turn at manning the phones on several occasions, so there was nothing new about that part of the job for her.

So, when the phone rang that afternoon, she answered it without any sense of foreboding whatsoever.

"Balamb Garden, Quistis Trepe. How may I help you?" she asked, preparing to transfer the caller to whomever he wished to speak with. Her heart plummeted and turned to ice however, as he explained the reason for his call.

"This is Colonel Jarfa, commander of the Dollet North Border Base. I need to speak with Commander Squall Leonhart immediately. The young SeeD sniper, Irvine Kinneas, has been shot and seriously injured."

* * *

NIda was just about to wrap up his day manning the bridge and head to the gym for some more training when the comms lit up and the radio from the Ragnarok came online.

"Ragnarok to Garden. This is Commander Leonhart. Nida, Rinoa and I need to make an emergency trip to Trabia, then to Dollet. File access code Tango, Foxtrox, Whisky, Alpha, Niner, Niner, Zero."

Frowning, Nida typed in the code, transmitting the flightpath to the Ragnarok's navicomputer, and answered, "Course cleared. You're good to go. I've already sent an alert to Trabia Garden. What's going on?"

"Irvine's been injured. We're picking Selphie up and heading over there." Came the answer. Nida stared at the commlink, swallowing. The connection had to have wavered just then. Had to have. There's no way that tremble had been Squall's voice...

"Irvine? Injured? What...?" Then Nida cleared his throat and asked, "What's his condition?"

"You'll know when we do Nida. All I know right now is that he's critical." Came Squall's answer, the strain in his voice more pronounced.

"All right then," Nida said woodenly. "Godspeed Squall."

The roar of the airship's jets shook him out of his shock and in the next instant, Quistis emerged from the lift and walked into his arms, burying her face into his chest, gripping him tightly but otherwise remaining silent.

"Quiss," he whispered, heart aching for her. For Squall. For _all_ of them. Himself included.

He couldn't be considered a part of the original "orphanage gang" or "The Fated Children" as he'd heard them referred to. He'd come to Balamb Garden by a different route and so had not played a large part in their legend.

That did not stop them all from becoming friends over time. Irvine in particular, himself an outsider in Balamb, had been instrumental in including NIda in the group's activities. But he wasn't as close with Irvine as Zell and Squall were. They were essentially brothers.

That didn't stop his heart from aching. That didn't stop him from worrying. Irvine, over the course of the last three years, had become a friend. And he hated to lose friends.

"I need to go find Zell." She whispered back. Odd, how her voice was steady, but Nida could feel the fine tremors under the surface. She, like them all, would not release her emotions until she knew if she'd need to mourn a friend or not.

"I can call him on the P.A..." Nida offered.

Quistis took a step back, shaking her head, "No. I'll find him. We'll be taking the train to Dollet, most likely."

"Quistis..." Nida said, reaching for her hand.

She squeezed it tight, eyes bright with unshed tears. "I'll call you when we get there Nida. I love you."

Then she turned away and left, leaving Nida staring after her, feeling absurdly abandoned. And completely superfluous. The door to the lift whooshed shut and he turned away to stare blindly at the console that held all of the different components that aided in running Garden. Sighing heavily, he braced his hands on the board and slumped, closing his eyes and letting his head drop in utter dejection.

He _liked_ his job as engineer and pilot for Balamb Garden. He enjoyed the challenge it brought and yes, the sense of importance he gained from it. He was one of the few who knew the inner workings of the edifice to the smallest detail. He was careful to teach his subordinates as much as he was able to cram into their brains; he wasn't so arrogant as to keep crucial details solely to himself. While he didn't get sent on field assignments by and large, things could and _did_ happen, right there in Garden itself. His position wasn't the sinecure that some thought it was.

Still, sometimes Nida hated being left behind to man the controls and operate the big ship while everyone else was out risking their lives. Helpless and waiting for the news of who would return from an action, and who he would have to mourn.

At twenty-two, he'd mourned far more friends than he wanted to think about.

* * *

They rode the train in silence. Zell's typically ebullient personality dimmed by his concern for Irvine. And each of them too wrapped up in their thoughts to speak.

Sometimes, Quistis thought that the dimming of memories that the GF's tended to do to their hosts wasn't altogether a bad thing. It made it easier to know the person in front of you without your memories of who they once were coloring your perception. It also numbed painful memories.

Of course, now that they'd remembered each other from Edea's orphanage, those memories wouldn't fade again, GF use or no. They were more careful now in their use of the Guardians, and the longer they all remained unjunctioned, the more they recalled. Sometimes, Quistis was glad of it. Sometmes she wasn't.

She remembered a drunken night of weakness where she and Irvine, both pining over the unattainable, had found themselves together. Not her wisest decision, to be sure, but it ended up with them simply drinking and talking together. And that was it.

When she'd expressed her surprise that he hadn't made a move on her, given his incessant flirtations, he'd said seriously, "darlin', that's just me havin' fun. Gorgeous as you are, it'd be like fucking my sister. I just couldn't do it."

"Wouldn't it be the same with Selphie?" she'd asked.

He'd frowned and shook his head, "No. Never. I dunno why but I've never thought of her that way."

Quistis thought she knew. Selphie and Irvine had been friends from the start but they'd always known that they weren't related, and behaved like it. Quistis on the other hand, had tried to step in and fill the void that Ellone had left when she'd disappeared. She'd been _everybody's_ sister, or had tried to be.

Put in that context, it wasn't surprising then that neither Irvine nor Squall ever saw her as anyone other than as instructor, surrogate sister and friend.

"Have you heard anything?" Zell asked.

Quistis glanced over at him and shook her head. "No. But It can't hurt to check in with Squall and see if he's gotten an update."

Zell nodded, watching her expectantly as she pulled out her phone and dialed Squall's number.

"He's out of surgery," Squall said upon answering. He rarely bothered with pleasantries. He considered them a waste of tiime.

"How's it look?" she asked, biting her lip.

"Well, I haven't actually seen him yet, but he's stable, and the doctors are optimistic. And Rinoa's here. She can heal him completely, given a chance."

Quistis closed her eyes and sighed in relief, "So, you're just waiting for a chance to visit him, is that it? I understand that you want Rinoa's abilities kept quiet, as much as possible."

"That's right. As soon as they allow visitors, I'll have Rinoa heal him." Squall reported.

"All right. Well, Zell and I are on our way. We should get there in a couple of hours, give or take." Quistis said.

"You'll have to rent an off-road vehicle. The base here is really remote and the roads are terrible." Squall advised her.

"Thanks for the heads up." Quistis said.

"No problem. I'll talk to you when you get here."

Quistis looked over at Zell, "You heard?"

He nodded and dropped his face into his hands, rubbing away the moisture that kept gathering at the corners of his eyes.

"He's not going to die. Rinoa's there." Quistis said calmly.

Zell took a deep breath and leaned back against the seat, gazing upward at nothing. Clearing his throat, he said huskily, "I know. Thank Hyne."

Quistis nodded agreement and patted his leg lightly.

They lapsed into silence that stretched unbearably, until Zell's phone rang. Answering it, he spoke quietly and briefly with the caller, glancing up at Quistis and mouthing, "Squall" to answer her inquiring look.

Completing his call, he updated Quistis on the situation, saying, "Irvine's still sedated. They're coming back to Deling City. We'll know more then. Squall says they'll pick us up when we get there."

"All right." Quistis said.

The train ride took forever, or at least that was what it felt like to Quistis. In reality, it was no more than a few hours... But that was long enough. For a _lot_ of things to happen.

She hoped that Rinoa _would_ in fact be able to heal Irvine. Using healing potions or magic was all very well, but it only worked if it could be employed in time. Even with a powerful magic user like Rinoa available, there was no guarantee that she'd be able to save him. Quistis shook herself out of that train of thought, frowning. She was borrowing trouble and didn't need to add to her anxieties Besides, according to Squall's latest update, Irvine was stable and the doctors were confident of a good outcome. She decided to focus her attention on scanning the crowd in the train station for Squall and Rinoa.

* * *

Squall met them with Selphie and Rinoa just as he'd said he would, leading her and Zell to where he'd landed the Ragnarok. Quistis was simply relieved at not having to rent a car or a hotel room after all. Zell had remained silent and brooding for the duration of the trip. After recieving the update from Squall, he had relapsed into silence, lost in his own thoughts and worries.

She glanced over at the pilot's seat, where Squall sat. Rinoa sat behind him, with Selphie sandwiched between her and Zell. Squall had not argued when she'd silently buckled into the copilot's seat next to him.

The radio came to life with a burst of static, and Squall answered Nida's query breifly with a terse update on their current situation.

Studying him covertly, she saw the signs of strain and fatigue clearly, and was tempted to offer to fly the airship back to garden when it came time for them to leave.

But that wouldn't be tonight. The last rays of the sun were dying in a purple-red haze by the time Squall had picked them up at the train station. Dinner was mentioned briefly, but no one had an appetite. They would land the Ragnarok outside the base and stay on board overnight, returning to the base infirmary the next morning. If anyone _was_ hungry, the airship's mess was kept stocked, mainly with emergency rations, but they'd do in a pinch.

"I hope they let us see him when we get there," Selphie worried.

"If they feel he's stable enough, I don't see why they wouldn't." Rinoa said.

"You'll heal him if they do, right?' Selphie asked, eyes pleading.

"Of course I will!" Rinoa reassured her, prompting Squall to turn around to look at her. Something silent passed between them and then he nodded and turned back around to punch in the landing codes as the Ragnarok neared their destination.

Full dark had fallen upon the plain outside the base, but Quistis was able to see the landing lights of the helipad next to the hospital. The currently quiescent aircraft that sat upon it was poised to spring aloft at a moment's notice, to transport any patient that was beyond the capabilities of the base hospital.

"We'll just stay here tonight." Squall said with a tired sigh, as he began shutting down the Ragnarok's engines.

"All right," Quistis said. "Cheaper than a hotel room anyway."

Squall nodded with a slight quirk to his lips but otherwise didn't comment as he unbuckled his seatbelt, then stood and stretched, joints popping noisily. Quistis did likewise, then grabbed her duffel and made her way to the staterooms the Ragnarok had on board, choosing the one she normally used whenever she had to sleep aboard the ship.

Squall had informed her and Zell that visiting hours were fairly late in the morning, 10AM to be precise. It left them time the next morning to gather together in the Ragnarok's mess and eat a sparse, indifferent breakfast. Despite their confidence that Rinoa could heal Irvine, nobody had much appetite.

Then she was standing in the waiting room with Squall, Rinoa, Selphie and Zell, surprised at the number of soldiers that appeared to be waiting too.

"Did you guys wait here all night?" Squall asked one of the young men. When he nodded silently, Squall gave him a look of mingled gratitude and respect, saying "You didn't have to do that, he was stable..."

"We wanted to be here when he woke up." the young man said firmly. That was when Quistis realized the waiting soldiers were Irvine's trainees.

The wait for the doctor's update was interminable, so she couldn't disguise a sigh of relief when he finally appeared and gazed around the room as though looking for someone.

His attention finally landed upon Selphie, and he asked, "Miss...Selphie Tilmitt is it?"

Swallowing visibly, she turned toward the doctor, emotions tightly under wraps as she answered, "Yes, that's me."

"And...you are all Mr. Kinneas' family?" The doctor asked, studying them all in turn.

"Closest he'll get to it," Zell said gruffly.

The doctor nodded acknowledgment, then said, "Irvine is doing very well. In fact, he was fighting the sedation we had him under this morning so hard we thought it best to let him wake up. He's breathing fine on his own now, so if you'd like, you can be there for him when he does regain consciousness. I'm sure that would be very helpful for him." He smiled kindly at Selphie, and she smiled tremulously back at him, eyes glistening.

Turning to the rest of them, he said, "If you'd follow me please?" Turning away from them, he headed toward a pair of doors at the end of the waiting room, down a white-tiled hall and into the ICU.

Stopping at a door, he picked up a clipboard that was stuck in a wall-mounted basket next to it and scanned the notations before opening it and ushering them in.

"So far, everything's still looking good." the doctor said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he wakes up in the next few minutes. If anything unusual happens though, the emergency call button's right here." He indicated a red button near the head of the bed. Then he added, "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you doctor," Squall said quietly. The doctor nodded and left.

"And now we wait," Zell said with a sigh. Quistis nodded and folded her arms, settling in to wait next to him.

There was only one chair in the room, which nobody bothered to take, instead tacitly agreeing to leave it for Selphie. At Squall's pointed nod in its direction, she finally, hesitantly, moved it next to the bed, sat down and took Irvine's hand.

He appeared to be sleeping, his breathing deep and regular. Quistis suspected he'd managed at least one low-level healing spell, judging by how well he was doing in relation to the type of injury she'd been told he had. Indeed, the doctor had told them that they'd had to remove a bullet from his lung and was understandably amazed at how well he was recovering already. So, perhaps the healing spell had done more than just stabilize him.

Squeezing his hand, Selphie kissed it and leaned her cheek against it, whispering, "We're here, baby. You can wake up now." She gasped when his hand twitched.

He was indeed fighting to wake up. Quistis watched as his breathing changed and he shifted, with random little jerks and twitches of his head and hands.

Finally, he took a deep breath and his eyes fluttered open. He blinked a couple of times and licked at his dry lips, then turned his head and saw Selphie holding his hand.

"S...Selph.." he managed in a hoarse whisper. Closing his eyes briefly, he swallowed and tried again, "Selph..."

"Hey babe." She smiled, eyes glistening. He smiled back, and Quistis smiled slightly as well, remembering how happy she'd felt when she'd found Nida waiting at her bedside when she woke up after the failed field exam. Suddenly, she missed him with a sharp ache.

"Bout time you woke up, slacker," Zell commented with a half-smile.

"Zell," Irvine croaked, then coughed and grimaced uncomfortably.

He looked around the room then, and Quistis smiled reassuringly at the emotion he displayed at seeing everyone there. Returning his attention to Selphie, he squeezed her hand again, quirking his lips in chagrin at his obvious weakness.

"When are you going to learn how to duck?" asked Squall.

"When you learn how to sing," Irvine whispered hoarsely back. Zell snorted, and Quistis, Selphie and Rinoa giggled quietly. Even Squall managed a small smile. Then Selphie produced a cup full of ice chips.

"The doctor said you might be really thirsty when you woke up, so this should help." She said, carefully taking a chip and putting it to his lips. Quistis had to look away at the naked longing in his eyes as he gratefully accepted the ice, then closed them in relief as it melted on his tongue.

Thanks hon, that's much better," he said. He was beginning to tire, if one were to judge by his drooping eyelids and slurring speech.

"You ready to get out of here?" Squall asked him.

"Get out? I just woke up." Irvine frowned, confused.

"Irvine, did you forget? Rinoa's a sorceress, remember?" Squall reminded him.

"Oh, yeah." Irvine said, then closed his eyes and smirked, "Hit me with your best shot, Rin baby."

"Don't tempt me." She retorted. Irvine chuckled weakly.

Quistis watched as Rinoa approached Irvine's bed, and stroked her fingers across his brow. From that gentle, soothing touch,Irvine sighed and closed his eyes, relaxing as his injuries were healed. It had been done so gently, so subtly, that even watching, one couldn't tell that Rinoa had cast a healing spell. Quistis raised her eyebrows at this demonstration of control. Rinoa had come a long way already with her sorceress powers.

Opening his eyes, Irvine smiled at Rinoa, "Thanks. I feel much better." He shifted and frowned at the IV tubes that were connected to him.  
"Now, if I could just get unplugged from all of this.."

"I'll get the nurse." Quistis said, heading for the door.

As she went in search of a nurse, she wondered what story they'd concoct to explain Irvine's sudden return to full health when mere hours before he'd been critical. She didn't think Squall would like Rinoa's name involved at all, so she decided to hint that they'd brought in a healing potion or two, if the question ever arose. The Galbadian army, already accustomed to how SeeD worked, would not think that unusual.

She returned to Irvine's room a few moments later with a nurse and his doctor in tow, who both stared wide-eyed at the sight of Irvine sitting upright in bed, awake, alert and anxious to be gone.

Then they were all gently but firmly shooed from the room so that the nurse and the doctor could check Irvine over before finally discharging him.

* * *

They exited the room in a group, causing Irvine's gathered trainees to glance up anxiously. Quistis gave them a reassuring smile and they relaxed.

"He'll be fine," Squall reported to them. "The doctor is checking him out now."

Scanning the group and singling out a dark-haired young man, Squall said, "Kev? If you have a moment, I'd like to talk to you about what happened."

The young soldier traded an apprehensive glance with some of the other trainees, licked his lips nervously and nodded, "Okay, sure. Uh, where...?"

"Follow me." Squall said, then finally catching on to the young man's discomfiture, he added, "relax. I just want to know what you saw of the events. I won't bite." Gesturing with his head for Kev to follow, he turned away to find a private place to interview him. Hesitating slightly, the trainee did as requested.

Quistis watched as Squall took the trainee aside, at a far enough distance to ensure that their conversation would be private. Then an intense discussion ensued, as Squall quietly and relentlessly grilled the fellow for any and all details of the events that had led up to Irvine's injury.

Leaving him to his interview, Quistis turned her attention to the remaning trainees, studying them curiously. All young; late teens to mid-twenties at the oldest. And all of them amazingly loyal, which spoke very highly indeed of Irvine's teaching ability.

She'd seen glimpses of the sniper's hidden talent when she'd talked him into doing a firearms unit for a class of junior cadets. He'd been patient, personable and very thorough, and had engaged the children in such a manner that they'd actually enjoyed what he'd taught them... Even the highly scientific stuff, which had come as a distinct surprise to Quistis. She'd had no idea that Irvine had grasped the complex mathematics behind ballistics, let alone be able to _teach_ it. She felt slightly chagrined at having taken the lighthearted and flirtatious sniper at face value, completely missing the surprising intelligence he possessed.

Obviously, he'd done a similarly thorough and impressive job here. Quistis filed that in the back of her mind; Garden could always use good instructors, particularly those with Irvine's particular skillset. She resolved to mention the possibility of him obtaining an instructor's license at the first opportunity, if he didn't ask her or Squall about it first.

"I'll be glad when we can finally go home," Selphie said wistfully.

"Is Irvine's teaching contract concluded then?" Quistis asked her.

"Yeah, Squall talked to the base commander yesterday and got him released early. There were only a few days left and he was satisfied with the results as they stand now." Selphie answered.

"I see." Quistis nodded. "How about you? Same thing?"

Selphie nodded, "Yeah."

"Good." With any luck, the lovebirds would be too wrapped up in each other to pay attention to Quistis' affair with Nida. She wasn't sure she was ready to go public with their relationship. Not yet.

She quite honestly did not know what was holding her back. Perhaps it was her ongoing research project to find Nida's real name and origins. She wanted to present that information as a _fait accompli_ , not only to Nida but to the rest of Garden as well. She snorted inwardly at that thought, mentally acknowledging the arrogance behind it.

The doctor and the nurse both returned from their examination of Irvine, with the doctor declaring, "Well, he's fine. I don't know how really, but he is. He can go home any time he's ready to. Meanwhile, if the rest of you want to see him, he's all yours."

A quiet exhalation of relief sounded from several of those present, then the trainees stood and, after glancing at Quistis, Zell and Selphie, they all headed toward the door to Irvine's room. Squall glanced up from the soldier he was interviewing at hearing the doctor's pronouncement and nodded. Returning his attention to the young man, he said something quietly and gestured with his head toward the rest of the trainees.

Squall rejoined their group as the young man followed his comrades into Irvine's room.

"Let's give them a few minutes to visit with him." He said.

One of the young men left the room briefly and returned with what appeared to be Irvine's duffle, and Squall followed him in with Selphie and Rinoa. Quistis exchanged a glance with Zell, and they both joined the group gathered in Irvine's room.

Irvine, despite the disadvantage of being unclothed and stuck in bed for the moment, was turning on the charm as usual, making it a point to formally introduce them all to the young sergeant, Mick Towsen, who'd fetched Irvine's duffle bag for him.

She hid a smile at everyone's reaction when Squall graciously shook the young man's hand, exchanging a glance with Rinoa and catching her smug smile. Squall simply raised an eyebrow at Irvine's shocked expression, but otherwise remained silent.

Quistis shook the young sergeant's hand as well, smiling at him as she did.

Then he turned to Selphie, saying, "So you're Selphie. Its nice to finally meet you."

"Thanks, same here," she said with a smile.

"Well, I'm gonna take off. Talk to you later." the sergeant said.

"Thanks again for bringing my clothes over for me." Irvine said.

"No problem." he said with a shrug, then he left.

Then Irvine stretched his hand out to Selphie, saying, "Come here baby, there's something I've been wanting to do all week."

Squall coughed, and said to Rinoa, "maybe we should leave…"

Quistis and Zell both rolled their eyes and started for the door. She'd seen the unmistakable hunger in his eyes, a hunger that was matched by Selphie's expression.

"C'mon man, I do have some restraint." Irvine said, exasperated. Squall snorted.

"Yeah, right," Zell replied derisively as the door closed behind them.

Quistis simply laughed softly. "How long do you think it'll take Irvine to get dressed?"

Squall emerged from the room moments later with Rinoa and commented flatly, "You might want to give him a couple of minutes."

"Only a couple?" Zell smirked.

Squall, refusing to rise to Zell's bait, replied, "That should be more than enough time for him to get _dressed_."

"And not enough time for anything else," Quistis commented.

"Reunions can wait for a better time and place," Squall said.

Zell shrugged, disappointed that Squall wouldn't respond to his double entendre, weak though it was.

As for Quistis, she was glad to see that Irvine was fine and ready to go home. She was ready as well. She missed Nida desperately, more than she thought she would, and seeing Irvine reuniting with Selphie and how absolutely besotted with each other they were, didn't help matters on her end. She really hoped Irvine wouldn't mess things up with Selphie this time. Nothing was more pathetic than a heartbroken Irvine, especially if he'd been the one to screw up, which was usually the case.

Eventually they got to leave, but not before Quistis caught him making out with Selphie instead of getting dressed. And not before he'd convinced Rinoa to heal the trainee who'd been injured along with him. He also managed to charm Squall into meeting the girl, who apparently was a huge fan of his.

This flat-out amused Quistis, who couldn't help smiling at Squall's rather endearing blush at hearing her gush over him. The hero worship obviously embarrassed him, but it was actually rather cute to see how Rinoa supported him in those situations, knowing without being told how socially awkward he was.

Still, as nice as the visit had been, Quistis was more than relieved when the Ragnarok finally lifted off and Squall pointed its nose toward Balamb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, still plugging along on this, gonna finish this story if it kills me! This chapter, by the way, is basically Quistis' point of view on the events that take place in the latter half of Chapter 6 in Bragging Rights. It was an odd challenge to do that, to basically write the same scene from a different character's perspective. Definitely an interesting writing exercise. Hopefully, this wasn't TOO boring of a chapter. I'm already about halfway through the next one, as I'd let this one sit for awhile. And yeah, moving the story along... fyi, in case you were wondering, there be lemons ahead! Also, artwork. My Art Muse has decided to throw another challenge at me...attempting to illustrate the next chapter. Could be interesting...


	20. Stray Bullets

"Hey babe," Nida smiled as he opened his door at Quistis' knock.

She entered at his wordless invitation, and walked right into his arms. Nida held her tight and sighed, closing his eyes. Hyne, he had it bad for her if being without her a single day had him missing her so much. Of course, he knew that would pretty much be the case from the start.

"I missed you," she sighed, squeezing him as well.

"Same here." he replied, pulling back just enough to settle his lips against hers in a sweet kiss. "Are you hungry? It's just about dinner time."

"I could eat, yeah. You cooking?" she asked.

Nida smiled at her, "Yeah. It won't be anything spectacular but it'll be edible at least."

"I'm sure it'll be wonderful. Thank you." she smiled back. She _had_ missed him, far more than she'd thought she would. It was probably due to seeing Irvine and Selphie practically slobbering all over each other after nearly two weeks apart, with a scare to top it off. She couldn't actually blame them, really. Quistis was absolutely certain that she'd have behaved the same way, had it been Nida.

He ducked down for another lingering kiss, one that Quistis leaned into hungrily, before pulling away with a roguish grin and heading for the refrigerator. Opening it, he pulled out too beers and held one out to her inquiringly.

Quistis nodded and came up to take it from him after he opened it, taking a deep draft and sighing, "I needed this."

"So did I." Nida took a drink of his own beer and set it on the counter as he started dinner preparations.

Quistis pitched in of course, she could not simply stand there and watch. Nida didn't mind, in fact he liked the way they'd fallen into a sort of routine where each took up the slack for the other. With both of them working on it, their meal was completed, the table set and everything was ready in short order.

They kept the conversation to generalities while they ate, catching each other up on what they'd done in each other's absence, and what news was to be had regarding current events.

"Glad to hear Irvine's okay." Nida said, while they were cleaning up later.

"Yeah, me too." Quistis replied, rinsing and drying a dish that Nida had handed her.

She nearly dropped it when his arms came around her from behind and his lips found a particular spot just beneath her ear. Chills shot down her spine and she shivered.

Nida tightened his embrace, and smiled at her reaction. Her trembling breath hitched as he nuzzled his way gently down her neck, ending in a gasp as he nipped her lightly at the junction of neck and shoulder.

"I think we've done enough here." He murmured, taking the dish from her unresisting fingers and setting it on the counter.

"Have we?" Quistis asked huskily, turning to face him and leaning back against the counter, gazing up at him expectantly.

Moving close enough to trap her against the counter with his body, he placed his hands on either side of her, fencing her in. Then he leaned in slowly, watching her eyes go dark with desire before they closed as he kissed her.

Her hands came up and tangled into the hair at the nape of his neck, making him ache to posses her right there. She moaned softly when he pressed close enough for her to feel how badly he wanted her, and he broke off the kiss briefly to drag in a shaky breath.

"Hyne, I want you Quiss." He whispered into her ear, his hot breath making her shiver again. "I've wanted you from the first time I touched you, kissed you; and I want you, need you, love you more every day..."

Quistis swallowed, eyes stinging at his passionate words, thoroughly undone. She was again struck by how open to her he was. He'd never hidden how he felt, it was all there in his eyes, if she'd only cared to look. For too long she didn't want to see, and he hadn't pressed. Until he'd finally decided the time was right to ask her out.. and she decided to take a chance on someone she'd overlooked for far too long.

Too overcome to speak, she simply grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into another searing kiss. The heat and passion built until they were both in a haze of desire, hands tugging at clothing, skin seeking skin.

Then she was suddenly picked up, placed on the counter, and Nida's hands were under her skirt while his mouth was one of her breasts, teasing and nipping at the nipple. She didn't even remember when her shirt had gotten unbuttoned.

"You want to... Here? _Now_?" she managed to gasp.

"Yes," he growled, tugging her panties off and unfastening his trousers.

It might have been awkward, had he been just a tad shorter, or his counter top a tad higher. As it was however, he was both relieved and gratified that in fact, the positioning was just right.

In fact, it was perfect.

Nida slid his hand along Quistis's smooth thigh, and around to take a firm grip of her rear to pull her closer. He stepped forward and slid home as her legs wrapped around him and held him fast.

"Gods," he whispered, surging forward as her head fell back on a moan. He tightened his grip on her as he moved, running his tongue lightly up the tender skin of her elegant neck and nipping lightly at her chin before covering her lips with his.

He could feel her hands, clutching at his hair, clawing at his back as he increased his pace and tempo, heart beating fit to burst. He was running miles every day, but five minutes in Quistis' arms, loving her, body, heart and soul, and he was left as breathless as if he'd run a marathon.

As always, rational thought was lost in the flood of sensation that overwhelmed him. He could only _feel_...the warmth of her body, the smooth silk of her skin. He could only breathe her scent, taste the salt of her sweat on his lips, as he kissed her everywhere he could reach.

Her moans and half-articulated whispers encouraged him, while the nails digging into his back spurred him into harder, faster thrusts until she stiffened and cried out, then seemed to clench around him, shuddering as her climax rocked her.

He fought through the storm to his own release, nearly crushing her in his arms as it washed over him, holding her like she was his only lifeline in a sudden riptide of sensation.

He came to himself still buried in her, breathing hard, heart pounding, knees gone to water. Letting out a deep sigh, he closed his eyes and let his head drop to rest upon her shoulder, arms still wrapped around her. Listened to her breathe, listened to the thudding beat of her heart that echoed his own.

Her hands caressed his back and her fingers combed through his sweat-dampened hair, and he heard her sigh in deep contentment.

"Hyne, I needed that," she said softly.

Nida straightened up and smiled gently at her glowing countenance. She always looked so beautiful, just after they'd made love. Tonight, she looked positively radiant.

"So did I," He murmured in reply, kissing her again. "But then, I can never seem to get enough of you."

Quistis simply smiled and caressed his cheek, whispering, "I love you."

"Will you stay with me tonight?" he asked her. He knew that wasn't always a given, though she stayed with him as often as possible, just as he did with her.

"Yes," she answered, smiling.

"Well then," He said, giving her another kiss. "Let's get ready for bed."

* * *

Much later, after they'd put things to rights with regard to their clothing and then the kitchen, Quistis lay in Nida's arms on the edge of sleep.

She had needed him, far more than she'd thought. She could have blamed it on Irvine and Selphie, who had been all over each other the whole flight back, but honesty compelled her to admit that it wasn't just _them_.

They'd nearly lost each other. And that had reminded her that the same could happen to her, or to Nida.

When he'd opened the door at her knock, all she'd wanted to do was to spend the rest of the night in bed with him, but she _had_ in fact been hungry. So, she went along with his invitation to eat dinner first.

And after? Well, she had no complaints about him not being on the same page as she was when it came to sex.

Sighing, she nuzzled his chest, inhaling his warm, musky scent. She loved the way he smelled; male sweat, overlaid with the spicy cologne and deodorant he favored, with an underlying aroma of satisfied sexual desire.

She idly caressed his flat belly, following the trail of hair that led from his chest down to his pubic area.

He sighed and shifted, tightening his arm around her to pull her closer, and whispered, "not tired yet?"

"No." she whispered back.

He lay silently for a moment, basking in her idle caresses, before asking her, "you want to talk about it?"

Quistis smiled, but didn't stop touching him, finally trailing her hand up to his chest and letting it rest there over his heart.

Then she shrugged, "I guess, though there really isn't much to talk about. I'm just happy to be here with you."

"Same here." he smiled in the darkness.

"I _will_ say that this was the first time I've actually had sex on a kitchen counter-top." she said.

Nida laughed, "I kind of figured as much when you got the bleach out."

Quistis laughed along with him, "I know, maybe a little bit much but..."

"I get it, don't worry."

Yawning softly, she asked him, "what do you remember about the orphanage?"

Nida frowned in the darkness, and asked in turn, "The one in Galbadia?"

"There was more than one?" Quistis asked.

"I think so. Maybe. I don't know, really." he said.

"Well, what do you recall?" she pressed.

Nida fell silent, thinking, then answered. "Bits and pieces. The soldier who took me there seemed nice, I guess. I remember thinking how his eyes reminded me of grass, because they were so green. I remember feeling scared. Lost. Details escape me but...the orphanage was dark. Kind of shabby. It was a big, old house, with a lot of old, dark, dusty furniture, heavy draperies, that sort of thing. There were a lot of other kids there, like me, though I think I was the littlest. Everyone else seemed bigger than I was, at any rate. It seemed like I was always hungry but we _did_ eat."

"Do you remember anything about the people who ran it, who took care of you?" Quistis asked. Biting her lip, she added hesitantly, "Were they kind?"

"Mostly."

Quistis swallowed. _Mostly_. Cid and Edea had been kind and loving... _always_. It saddened her, to think about what he meant by _mostly_.

"I think they were overwhelmed." he clarified. "There were a lot of us. It was just after the war, after all, and resources were stretched thin."

He sighed and shifted, peering down into her face, trying to discern its expression in the darkness. All he could see was the pale oval of her face and the shadows that hid her eyes. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"They weren't terrible. They did their best. That's the best an orphan can hope for, you know, that they'll be placed in the care of someone who's _mostly_ kind. Many of them aren't."

"I know." Quistis had heard far too many stories of the _other_ types of orphanages, both as a cadet and as an instructor. Places that made their escapees all too eager to lay their lives down for gil, for Garden. Because in all likelihood, Balamb Garden was the _best_ place they'd ever been.

"Do you remember anyone specific?" she asked him.

Nida fell silent as he dug through his memories, dimmed by time, and yes, GF use, though not as much as some SeeDs and cadets.

"Ms. Green.. Something. Greenwood? She was... The youngest of the people who worked there. She reminded me of my mother." he finally answered.

"Do you remember her at all then? Your mother?" Quistis asked.

"Only vague memories now. Memories of softness. Warmth. Comfort...Love. I know she loved me. I can hear her voice, telling me so. I don't..." Nida swallowed suddenly, eyes suddenly stinging. "I don't remember...what she looked like."

Quistis cuddled close, wordlessly offering comfort. She suddenly regretted bringing the subject up. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Nida, though she knew the line of questioning she'd started would have dredged things up that he might have preferred remained forgotten.

"So, why did this Ms. Greenwood remind you of your mother? Did she resemble her?" Quistis asked him.

"A little, I guess. I thought she was pretty, like my mother. I don't clearly recall my mother's face but I _do_ remember thinking she was pretty. She had dark hair that was soft and fluffy, like clouds. She was warm, kind.. She made me...not feel so scared." Nida answered softly. Quistis kissed him softly and he gave her a small smile.

"You were there for what, five years?" Quistis asked him.

"Yeah. Then Cid took me and a bunch of other kids with him to another place, a big old house by the sea, for a little while. Then, Garden."

Quistis froze.

"A...house by the sea? When was this?" she asked. She'd have remembered him. She was sure of it. _Wouldn't she have?_ The honest truth was...maybe not. Like Squall, Zell, and Selphie, she had all but forgotten the childhood she'd shared with them in Edea's orphanage. And yes, the vestiges of her childhood feelings for Squall had gotten tangled up in nearly forgotten memories. Now, she remembered more than she did before. Time, and love, had provided a different perspective to those memories.

"You weren't there. I would have remembered you." Nida said with such conviction that Quistis had to believe him.

Quistis frowned. This had been after they'd all been split up then. Zell had been adopted by the Dincht family first. He'd been the youngest, and the most adoptable. Irvine had been sent off to Galbadia Garden, while Selphie had gone to Trabia. Seifer and Squall had both been sent to Balamb Garden.

_She_ had been adopted as well, but her adoptive parents, at a loss as to how to connect with her or break through her reserve, had finally taken Cid up on his offer to take her into his new military academy in Balamb. The curriculum was challenging enough for the intelligent and easily bored child that Quistis had been, and the discipline would temper her rebellious streak.

Once tempered, it had changed into a drive to succeed, propelling her to become the youngest cadet to graduate to SeeD, winning the post at fifteen...on her first attempt. Similarly, three years later, she qualified to become an instructor, gaining her license to teach. It had been a far more crushing blow to her than she had let on when she'd been dismissed, her license suspended mere months later due to Seifer's actions. She had been his instructor, and so had been held responsible for his rash behavior.

Never mind that she'd done all that she could to the best of her ability to get him to toe the line. Seifer, like her, had a rebellious streak a kilometer wide, _without_ the mitigating factor of common sense. _Or_ self control. Oh, he was intelligent enough, he was simply apt to act without thinking, a habit that frequently got him into trouble. The only reason that it hadn't gotten him killed... _Yet_.. Was because he was a _damn_ good fighter.

Next to Squall, he was the best gunblader in existence, and neither knew for sure who was the best, so closely were they matched in skill.

It was distinctly odd that they were currently on the same team as the SeeD Games loomed ever closer.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Nida asked her softly as the silence stretched.

"Sorry," Quistis said softly. "I got lost in memories."

"Good ones?" he asked her, already guessing it was the opposite.

Quistis shrugged.

"I see." Nida said. He shifted until they lay face to face, and whispered, "Well then, let's _make_ some good ones."

Quistis smiled at him in the darkness, and her heart started to pound as he covered her lips with his and kissed her deeply.

* * *

It was still dark when Nida reluctantly dragged himself from Quistis' warmth, threw on his running shorts and shoes, and after checking the outside temperature, a Balamb Garden hoodie over his t-shirt.

He shook himself in the cool predawn, and started off at an easy lope to warm up. He needed a good long run this morning, one that would really test him. He needed to check his time for the fifteen hundred meters, so he was planning on a hard run.

The jog down to the beach was a good enough warm up, and Nida took a few minutes to stretch and limber up, watching as the breakers rolled ashore in their endless rhythm. A bloody stain on the horizon as the dawn advanced, hinted at a coming storm. They'd likely see rain later that day, Nida thought. The dampness in the air reinforced that thought.

Breathing deeply, he shook out his arms and legs, then started the timer on his wristwatch and took off. As always, he had to remind himself not to get _too_ enthusiastic at the start; he needed to save it for the final push at the end. A strong, late kick at the right moment, when everyone else was flagging and starting to tire, could make the difference between winning and coming in second place.

Accompanied by the booming surf and rising breeze- the breakers were setting up nicely enough that an avid surfer had apparently decided to take advantage of them- Nida settled into his stride and loped easily along the shoreline. He wondered if Squall was already out there, running. If so, he'd started out even earlier than Nida had.

When Nida reached the halfway point to the course he was running, he checked his time, satisfied at the pace he'd managed to maintain, and turned around to head back. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Squall's running form coming from farther up the course, and headed back to his starting point, breath coming harder now as fatigue set in.

He worked at maintaining his pace, keeping his strides smooth and steady, then gradually began to lengthen them the closer he got to his "finish line". When he was within 100 meters of the end, he dug deep and practically flew the final strides, stopping his timer as he passed his stopping point. Gradually slowing his strides, he concentrated on his breathing, finally coming to a stop at the edge of the surf.

The dark form of the wet-suited surfer continued to ride the waves, and Nida watched him for a moment, panting, then started to walk around to avoid stiffening up. The surfer looked familiar, but the distance and the darkness made identification difficult.

The sound of pounding feet caught his attention and he watched as Squall loped up and slowed to a walk, breathing deeply.

"Time check?" He asked breathlessly. Nida nodded and showed him his stopwatch.

"Nice. You'll be hard to beat when the games finally start." he said.

"What about you?" Nida asked. "You're out awfully early. Went for a long one, did you?"

"Yeah. Couldn't sleep."

"Why?"

Squall nodded toward the surfer, "Selphie and Irvine had a blow up last night just after we got home. She spent the night crying on my couch with Rinoa."

"So that's _Irvine_ out there? Is he fucking _nuts_? The water has to be _freezing_!" Nida exclaimed.

"And only a suicidal idiot surfs alone." Squall said grimly.

Nida frowned, "You're right, there. So..?"

"So I'm going to have a conversation with him about it." Squall said.

Nida shook his head, "That guy. I swear, sometimes I want to knock some sense into his hard head."

"You'd have to take a number." Squall said with a humorless smile. "Zell has first dibs."

Nida winced, "Ouch. I don't envy him."

Squall snorted, "Neither do I."

Checking his watch, Nida said, "I better get going. Good luck with Irvine."

"I'm gonna let _him_ figure his shit out. I'm just here to let him know to get ready for an ass-kicking." Squall replied flatly. "See you later today."

"Later," Nida said, raising his hand in a quick wave as he took off at an easy jog, headed back to Garden.

As he jogged, he wondered at this latest development. Relationship drama surrounding Irvine and Selphie was nothing new, but he, like Squall and apparently, Zell, was tiring of it. Forcibly having some sense knocked into him was long overdue, and if Zell hadn't volunteered, Nida would have, though he suspected Squall would have taken a hand in if Zell hadn't.

Squall didn't normally involve himself in other people's problems though, particularly relationship drama. However, if Irvine was a brother to the commander, then Selphie was a sister...and not only that, the fact that she'd gone to Rinoa to cry on her shoulder, had made Squall's involvement even if only on the periphery, inevitable.

Nida spared a brief moment of sympathy for Irvine as he continued his jog home. The sniper was in for a rough morning.

* * *

If Nida had hit the ground running that morning, Quistis wasn't too far behind him.

Her Save the Queen whip whistled through the air and popped like a firecracker as she neatly severed the grasping tentacles of a grat that had gotten too close.

"Instructor..!" Cadet Howe gasped, whirling at the sound, swords ready.

"Eyes front!" Quistis snapped. "Don't worry about me! Maintain your position and guard your partner's left! Remember the drill, all of you!"

Cheeks red, the chastened cadet did as she was ordered. The other two cadets, Trey "Red" and Mark Savage, both shot Quistis a quick glance and then adjusted their positions to allow each room to maneuver, while staying close enough to watch each other's back.

Quistis dropped back, letting the cadets take the lead. She was there only as back up and as Instructor. The cadets had asked her to assist them in training to fight together as a group, and she had agreed, drilling them mercilessly. They had actually done pretty well with that in the first, failed field exam, but had all felt the need to sharpen up that particular skill.

The group of grats that now confronted them was just enough challenge to help them concentrate without putting them in undue danger. At least not before they felt more confident in their choice of comrades in arms.

Cadet Howe surged forward, blades flashing, and cut down a large grat to her left, then returned to her former position. Three of the creatures converged upon them at once then, and Red took a step forward.

"Loki!" He called, starting the summon. Then he glanced at both Howe and Savage, and they nodded at his unspoken order. As one, they leaped forward, with Michelle neatly dissecting the grats within range of her swords, while Mark disabled the rest with blind and sleep spells.

At length, Trey's GF made its leisurely appearance and torched the remaining grats to ash, then disappeared quickly back into its home dimension. Quistis narrowed her eyes, watching how the cadet had compensated for his Guardian's slowness, while noting that it had sped up a little bit since the last time she'd seen him summon it. Still, the GF remained among the slowest to answer a summon, which could be a serious handicap for the young man.

"I think that'll do for the day." Quistis said, calling a halt to the exercise. "Well done, all of you."

The cadets nodded and began making preparations to leave the Training Center.

As they made their way to the exit, Quistis asked Trey, "have you been junctioning fire-based elemental spells like I told you to increase your affinity with Loki?"

The cadet nodded, "Yeah. As much as I can. Although so far I've only managed Firaga spells. Higher level stuff is hard to get hold of."

"Hmmm." Quistis mused, narrowing her eyes in thought. Clearly, the cadet could use some more advanced fire-based spells, like Meteor, for example. He was at a sufficient level in his training that he should have been able to obtain it, if he'd been in an area where it was available to draw from, or failing that, if he'd had enough of the right items to refine into it.

She knew he'd been working hard with Loki; the improvement in the GF's response time was proof of that.

"I think maybe you should make another trip into the Fire Caverns." Quistis said as they reached the exit. "There are no lack of fire elementals there, and if you're as good at drawing magic as I think you are, you should be able to get enough spells and items to refine into the more advanced magics you'd need to boost your connection with Loki."

Trey looked thoughtful, "I'd thought about it." Then he gave Quistis a sheepish look, "to be honest, I was too worried about getting the summon right and working around the time it took to look for a partner to go with me there..."

"I'll go," Cadet Howe said. "I could always use the practice."

"Me too." chimed in Cadet Savage. "We work well as a team in the Training Center. Might as well test it in the real world."

Quistis watched as Trey glanced from one cadet to the other, taking a moment to admire the blaze of copper and gold that glinted in his hair from the light in the Training Center. She hid a smile as the caught Cadet Howe doing the same thing.

"All right then," he said. "Tomorrow afternoon? Say around one?"

The other two cadets nodded in agreement.

"Great! Meet you at the main entrance at one o'clock then!" He grinned at them both.

"If you two need anything, let me know. You're doing great though. I wouldn't worry too much about the next field exam, if I were you." Quistis told them, taking her leave of them shortly thereafter.

* * *

Finding that which is lost is an exacting task. The longer it is lost, the harder it becomes. Something, or _someone_ , that had been lost for over two decades can be incredibly difficult to find. It takes tenacious, exacting research, which by necessity requires hours, and hours of time, following lead after lead.

Libraries are always the places to start with something like this. They are the repositories of all history, both ancient and recent...or as much of it as can be gathered. Or trusted for accuracy, particularly with regard to recent history. With a regime like the late, un-lamented Vinzer Deling's, the information in the public libraries of Deling City could not be fully trusted.

It is an odd thing about recent versus ancient history. Despite the wealth of information about great events in the not so distant past, details still get lost. And accuracy is never absolute, though events often are clearer, due to being viewed through the prism of many living memories. History is always recorded by the winners, so there is no real hope of a complete, impartial documenting of events.

The task then, becomes finding which of those living memories _still_ live, and how accurate their recollections of events long past are. Mining those recollections is the next step to take after all the information available in the library had already been studied over and over, and over again.

For Quistis, knowing what step to take next in her search for Nida's true identity was an easy one: she had to find the caregiver that he recalled most clearly. The woman who had reminded him so poignantly of his mother.

But knowing that step and actually _taking_ it are two different things, particularly when she had no idea in which direction that step should be. Or where the woman even was.

What she was looking for, specifically, was confirmation that Nida's name _was_ in fact Christopher, and that his birth date was indeed February 2nd, twenty-two years ago. She didn't know if Ms. Greenwood, if that was in fact her name, could do this or not, but perhaps she'd be able to provide an additional piece of the puzzle, something that would lead Quistis to more concrete proof.

Of course, there was _one_ way that his identity could be proved beyond doubt, but it would require a court order and exhumation of his putative mother's remains...If they could be reliably located. A mitochondrial DNA match was as close to absolute certainty as there was to get. But she'd need to get Nida's agreement first, and she'd have to research all branches of the family tree in the hopes of finding a living relative before that route could or _should_ be taken.

And she needed more concrete proof that she was even on the right track before that could even be considered. The information she had was compelling, but far from certain.

So it was yet another Saturday spent at the Deling City Public Library while Nida trained in Balamb for the games. He wasn't terribly keen on her going alone, but she didn't think there'd be anything to worry about. She'd be in a library, and there was no place else where she felt safer.

She already knew from her previous research that the orphanage where Nida had been prior to Cid's taking him to Balamb was now shut down. During the aftermath of the war however, it had operated under Galbadia's Social Services Department. After a good bit of digging, she was able to find a list of caregivers that had staffed the place during the time that Nida had been there.

The bureaucracy during the height of Deling's reign had gotten increasingly unwieldy, but the plus side of this was a wealth of documentation of everything that it did. In triplicate.

One of the caregivers listed in the stacks of paperwork left behind was a Miri Greenwood. Further research produced the woman's current phone number and address. Jotting that down, Quistis resolved to call her as soon as she was able to.

Then she dove into another rabbit hole in Vital Records, gathering more information on Renee Elizabeth and David Allen Nida, finding record of their marriage, and deaths, information on their parents, grandparents, cousins...though there were no siblings and as near as Quistis could determine, none of their cousins had survived the war, several of them having served in the army and dying in action.

In finding all this out however, Quistis was left wondering. Who was it that had filed for their death certificates? And, just as important, if not more so - where were they buried?

Chances were good that the answer to that would lead to Galbadia's military records.

Sighing, Quistis rubbed at her eyes, frowning at her watch. She had spent far longer there than she'd intended, and the library was minutes away from closing. She had to get back. It was just as well, she didn't feel up to delving into the snarl of paperwork that had made up the Deling-era G-army anyway.

The papers she'd been poring over rustled loudly in the stillness of the library as she began putting everything back in order, preparing to return the materials to the shelves she'd taken them from. She glanced around the empty edifice, feeling a prickle of unease chase down her spine as she realized there was no one else around.

Intellectually she knew that she wasn't _actually_ alone, there was still a librarian in attendance, as well as a security guard, who would not leave until she did. But the quality of the silence in an empty library was different than when it was occupied. It chilled her, and fed her anxieties.

It echoed and took on a sinister, threatening quality. She began to think of things lying in wait.

She shook her head and told herself sternly that she was being paranoid and silly. Even so, she checked with her GF, who confirmed there were only two other people besides her in the building: the librarian and the security guard.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she finished putting away her materials and headed for the door, giving the librarian and the security guard an apologetic smile and wave as she pushed open the door to leave.

As she did, a white slip of paper fluttered to the floor to land at her feet. Curious, Quistis picked it up. One side was blank, but when she turned it over and read it, her heart nearly stopped.

_I AM WATCHING YOU,_ it said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, here we go with another chapter. Yeah, Sean is playing games and has just fired his first warning shot. And as these things often do, it will get worse before it gets better. HOW MUCH worse? Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it? You'll just have to wait. I'll try not to take so long for the next chapter. At least I didn't take two years to write this one...baby steps


	21. Cat and...Mouse?

He watched her from the shadows, smiling to himself at how unaware of his presence she was. It amused him, thinking of how her overconfidence had left her so vulnerable. He could have taken her then, if he'd wanted to. Instead, he simply watched her, like a cat watching a mouse hole. Waiting patiently for the right moment.

Eventually, the mouse _had_ to leave it's sanctuary. When she did...he'd have her.

Suddenly, she twitched and glanced up, warily scanning her surroundings. He drew back further into the shadows of the dusty, unused reference section, sighing quietly in relief as the lighting dimmed. Section by section, the lights shut down as the library prepared to close. She hadn't seen him, but he chastised himself regardless. It wouldn't do to underestimate her. Few still lived who had.

It was time to go, before the security guard made his final sweep and discovered him. Silently, he padded toward the stately doubled doors, pausing out of sight for a moment until both the librarian and security guard's attentions were elsewhere, then slipping out unobserved.

As he pulled open the door, he placed his palm on the edge, sticking a white slip of paper there. The friction from the door being opened by the next person to leave would pull it loose to send it fluttering to the floor, where _she_ would find it.

He found a concealed spot nearby to watch her reaction.

The heart-pounding surge of glee, combined with lust and adrenalin as he waited, left him hard and aching, and his hand strayed toward his crotch to grip himself, squeezing hard. The pain helped him regain his control and focus. _Not yet, it wasn't time yet._

Then, she was opening the door, the slip of paper fluttering to her feet as intended. Frowning, she glanced down and bent to pick it up, turning it over to read it.

The flash of shock and fear in her beautiful eyes was set off wonderfully by the lack of color in her pale face as she glanced wildly around, one hand on the handle of her bullwhip, telltale slip of paper in the other hand. That sublime image would be conjured up repeatedly once he got home and dealt with his hard-on and the aching balls that went with it.

He knew she would fight. He _loved_ it when she fought. He enjoyed testing himself against her and her training. Gods, what he'd do to her once he got his hands on her...

But not tonight. It wasn't time yet. He still had preparations to make.

He loved playing cat and mouse.

* * *

Quistis' heart was pounding so hard she thought it would choke her. She had her whip out in her hand, ready, and didn't give a shit what anyone who might see it would think. She was on the barest edge of panic, and having her weapon ready to hand was her last ditch effort to regain control of herself.

It wasn't working.

She spent the interminable walk through the darkened streets of Deling City starting at shadows, until she reached the bright lights of the train station. She scanned the sparsely populated facility as she entered, but nothing appeared imminently threatening, and logic slowly began to supplant blind panic.

Item one: If he had intended to attack her, he would have done so. There had been plenty of opportunity between the library and the train station.

Item two: She was armed. He couldn't have missed that, which might have been why no attack had been forthcoming.

Item Three: Sean liked to play games. He wasn't finished with _this_ one. He had been intimately associated with her long enough to learn how to push her buttons, and relished doing so. He was simply doing the same shit he'd always done.

Item Four: She knew _him_ as well, and knew that in an odd way, he was a coward. It made him feel powerful, strong, to take down someone like her, who could kill with the flick of a wrist. He liked the power trip it gave him, and part of that power trip was the psychological manipulation he used to make her dance to his tune. He covered his fear with bravado and brutality. But he wasn't stupid, and simply attacking her in the open would be fatal. He knew that.

The long train ride back to Balamb gave Quistis time to calm down and start to relax, though she was still a little twitchy. Anyone who attempted anything with her in that moment would have gotten a nasty surprise. It also gave her time to think. And the first thing she thought was that she'd have to tell Nida. She'd promised him no more secrets, and while she would rather do anything than that, she also knew that he would not appreciate her keeping this latest development from him.

She glanced at her watch, debating. She'd worked through dinner, all the way to closing time at the library. It would be close to midnight when she got home, and Nida would likely be asleep, as he got up ridiculously early to run and work out before he started his shift at the command center.

She too had an early day tomorrow. Not as early as Nida, perhaps, but she had her duties as Cid's intern and Squall's part-time assistant, as well as her regular office hours for her students. The next Field Exam was fast approaching and she wanted to be available for any last minute questions, problems, or anxiety attacks.

She had a key to Nida's place, just as he had one to hers. She didn't want to wake him, but she sent him a quick text anyway, letting him know she was on her way home.

It would be too late to get into a major discussion; they both needed their sleep. But Quistis suddenly wanted desperately to sleep sheltered safely in Nida's arms.

_"Are you coming over tonight?"_ his texted response said.

_"Yes. If you don't mind?"_ she replied.

_"Never. You know you're always welcome."_ he sent back.

_"I'll try not to wake you when I get there."_

_"Don't worry about it. I'll see you in a couple of hours sweetheart."_

Quistis sighed, feeling the balled up tension within her flow out with her breath. Leaning her head back against her seat, she closed her eyes. But she didn't sleep. Her hand still gripped her whip, and her ears were still alert to anything that sounded suspicious in the virtually empty train car.

She arrived in Balamb shortly therafter, and owing to the already late hour, decided to splurge on a rental car. She'd return it in the morning.

It was half-past midnight when she finally fished her key to Nida's apartment out of her purse and opened the door. Making her way through the darkened rooms, she quietly set her purse and tote bag down next to the couch.

Kicking her shoes off, she padded across the living room and stole into his bedroom, leaning against the doorframe for a moment. Listening to Nida's deep, regular breaths. She undressed and homed in on the sounds, slipping into the bed and into Nida's arms.

He gave a deep sigh, mumured something sleepily, and cuddled her close, dropping back into sleep.

Quistis lay awake a few moments more, then finally relaxed completely and drifted off on her own, feeling both loved and safe.

* * *

The next day kept Quistis busy as she did her internship with Cid along with her assistant duties for Squall. At least until his new assistant, Darien, was familiarized with what the job entailed. As Squall's de facto assistant, it fell to Quistis to train him.

As she did, Quistis took her own measure of the young man. One would think that Squall, as commander of Balamb Garden, could simply have a cadet assigned to that position, but when that was suggested to him, he refused. His reasoning, when asked, was that their education was more important.

So that was, in part, the reason that he had been accepting open applications from civilians for the position. Of course, the candidates did have to pass an exhaustive vetting process, with the final and most intimidating one being administered by Squall himself. Darien had passed all hurdles, and still appeared to be calm and self-possesed, unlike many of his predecessors.

He was also a quietly intelligent young man who took almost no time at all to understand his duties.

By the time Quistis neared the end of her shift, she was reasonably confident that Darien would be able to handle the job.

"If you need anything, Xu will be more than happy to help you out." Quistis told him as she prepared to leave for her _next_ order of business: she was continuing to hold office hours up until the day of the Field Exam.

Darien nodded solemnly, asking, "And Xu is?"

"Right here, actually." Xu answered as she walked into the reception area. "Sorry I'm late, Quistis."

"That's okay." Quistis said, shrugging it off easily.

Turning to Darien, she introduced him to Xu, "Xu Xian. She's pretty much Cid's second in command here. Xu, this is Darien Senn."

"Quistis is exaggerating," Xu snorted, shaking the young man's hand. "I'm just the office manager. She's the one who's essentially second in command."

Quistis bit back a smile as she caught sight of Darien's stunned expression. She would later conclude that she'd just witnessed the exact moment he fell in love with Xu. He recovered his aplomb fairly quickly though.

"I'm sure she has it exactly right," he said smoothly, smiling down at her.

Xu appeared tongue tied for a moment before releasing his hand and simply saying, "at any rate, Darien, welcome aboard."

Quistis took her leave moments later, feeling much amused by the situation. Xu had not been dating anyone recently, and had confessed to being more than a little envious of Quistis' relationship with Nida.

She did wonder how things might play out for them though. Obvious mutual attraction aside, Darien was completely opposite from the type of man Xu normally dated. Oh, he was handsome enough, but in a quiet, bookish sort of way. He was tall and lean, with inky black hair and beautiful, soft brown eyes that he hid behind black-framed glasses.

Xu's type tended toward lean and lithe, but not terribly tall. Still, Darien wasn't too far outside her norm. The only possible snag was the fact that the man wasn't a SeeD, so there was no possible way to know what kind of fighter he was, if he even _could_ fight. Quistis doubted it; there were no calluses on his hands from handling weapons, no scars or marks on his knuckles from hand to hand training.

Then she snorted to herself. Maybe that wouldn't even matter to Xu.

_Opposites do attract,_ Quistis thought, recalling the way Squall had gradually fallen for Rinoa. _And sometimes, they even work._

* * *

It was the end of another long day for Nida, whose days were now split between his morning runs, and his afternoon field event and weight training sessions, interspersed with his duties as Chief Engineer. He was coming along well with his field events, he thought, and his running of course was spot on. At least, according to his last time trial.

Garden itself was humming along like the well-oiled machine that Nida did his best to keep it as. He truly enjoyed the challenge to both his fighting and his mechanical skills that it presented, despite the less glamorous aspects of it. Like unstopping toilets... Or really, anything to do with plumbing and/or sanitation.

Nida grimaced as he entered his apartment and headed straight toward the shower. It was just as well that the plumbing issue he'd been called upon to correct wasn't worse than it had ended up being. It was still unpleasant, to say the least, to deal with a backed up toilet. It was much worse to have to give the cadet responsible a dressing down, reminding her of certain, _specific rules_ regarding what could and could not be flushed...then assigning her clean up duty.

He actually felt rather bad for the girl, who'd been all of thirteen and new to the realities of her biology. Nida sighed as he turned on the shower. Quistis would doubtless have handled the situation with more delicacy than he'd managed, he was sure. However, she had been unavailable just then.

Quistis was likely still working-either meeting with her cadets, both those scheduled for the approaching field exam, and those who were not-or shadowing Cid. She typically came by about an hour and a half after he got home, leaving him plenty of time to wash off the sweat and grime of his labors.

Afterward, he wandered into the kitchen, towel still wrapped around his hips, and opened the refridgerator, contemplating dinner. And debating if his workout that day would allow him a beer or not. Shrugging, he grabbed a bottle and twisted off the top, and glanced over to the living room, noticing that Quistis had left a tote bag full of papers and notes from her visit to the library leaning against the couch.

He frowned slightly, wondering where to move it to so she could reclaim it when she returned. He figured she would because her researches the night before had seemed important to her. Setting his beer on the counter untasted, he picked up the materials, intending to move them to the coffee table in the living room, so she'd see them and remember to retrieve them.

As he lay the bag onto the coffee table, the papers inside shifted and partially spilled out, causing a small slip of paper to fall out and flutter to the floor. Sighing, Nida straightened the stack, then bent down and picked up the errant scrap, frowning slightly as he read it.

_I am watching you._

Nida went hot, then cold, staring at the note, mind racing.

That the note had been meant for Quistis was obvious. The reason she hadn't told him about it, either on the phone when she'd checked in with him, or upon arriving at his apartment, less so. It had been late when she'd gotten in, he reasoned, and he'd been asleep. She hadn't wanted to wake him. And he'd left to go on his run before she'd awakened. She had not had a chance to really say anything to him about it yet. It made sense. It was logical. The warm rush of anger that simmered beneath the surface however, was not.

So, he'd ask her about it when she got in.

Slowly, he placed the note back in amongst the stack of papers Quistis had left behind in the tote bag. That was as good a place as any, and a better one than most for the discussion they needed to have about it. Placing his TV remote onto the stack to serve as a paperwieght, he turned and went into the bedroom to finish drying off and getting dressed.

Returning to the kitchen, he leaned against the counter and, recalling his opened beer, absently picked it up and took a swig. Thinking.

He had to put a stop to Quistis' search for his name. It was obvious that her activities had attracted notice of the kind that she did not need, putting her safety at risk. He knew she was a SeeD; a respected, battle-hardened veteran. She wasn't a weak pushover. But he also knew, from some research he'd done on his own, and from what Quistis herself had told him, that things like this tended to escalate to a dangerous degree. And the psychological damage that Sean had inflicted had left its mark upon her, leaving her vulnerable in a way that he'd easily be able to see and exploit. It wasn't about being weak, it was about being smart.

While it would have been nice to know who his parents were, what his actual name was, when he was born; none of that mattered to him if the search for it put Quistis in danger. It had nothing at all to do with how increasingly uncomfortable he was becoming with her digging into his barely remembered past.

He'd tell her that after they'd eaten.

Feeling better for having worked out what to do, he turned his attention toward dinner preparations. By the time he was done, Quistis was knocking on his door.

"You know, at this point, you can just come in," he said with a smirk as he let her in.

"I know. I like you inviting me in." she answered.

He raised his eyebrows and replied, "really? Why?"

She shrugged, "I don't like to make assumptions."

He frowned suddenly at what that implied, and reached for her hand, pulling her into his arms.

Gazing down at her seriously, he said firmly, "It's not an assumption. It's a fact. You're always welcome here. My home is your home. I'm sorry if I hadn't made that more clear to you." Bending down, he gave her a soft, lingering kiss.

"Dinner's ready."

* * *

"We need to talk."

Quistis focused her attention on Nida, and his too-serious expression, and felt a jolt of apprehension hit her guts. A light quip about that being _her_ line died on her tongue. Instead she simply nodded, taking a last sip of wine before rising from her seat, leaving the remains of her dinner on the table, and following him to the couch.

On the coffee table lay a damning stack of evidence; her tote bag containting her notes and papers from the night before, and Quistis knew then what Nida wanted to talk about. Sean's note. He'd obviously found it. Relief warred with guilt as she sat down. Relief because, for a brief moment, she'd thought that Nida had intended to break things off with her. He'd never given any sign or hint that he _would_ , but sometimes things just came out of the blue like that. Guilt because she hadn't yet mentioned the note, and she _should_ have as soon as she'd walked in that evening. She had _intended_ to, but simply couldn't seem to find a way to broach the subject.

Sitting down on the couch, he invited her to sit next to him, and when she did he took her hand and held it warmly. That eased her tension a little, which was his intent, she saw when she glanced over at him.

"You saw the note.." she began, the same time as he said, "you need to stop."

Quistis froze. "What?"

"The search. You need to stop."

Quistis swallowed, then licked her lips. "But..."

"Quistis, he's stalking you. I can't be with you all the time and...and I know you're strong and capable and can handle all sorts of things but... I also know what you're like when you're researching stuff, you tend to focus on _that_ , and not on what's around you. The risk is too high." Nida said.

Quistis stared at him. But she was so close. All she had to do was interview the woman who'd cared for him at the orphanage...and then what? Chase down the myriad new questions her answers might generate? Truth be told, she didn't _want_ to stop. Not yet. She wasn't _done_.

"I'll be careful. I'll bring someone with me, like Selphie, or Xu. They'll watch my back."

NIda shook his head and raked his fingers through his hair, suddenly frustrated, and said, "Quistis, it's not that important to me! Not if it puts you within reach of that animal."

"Not that... But I thought..." Quistis' voice trailed off. She felt as though she'd been stabbed right through the heart. She'd truly thought he'd approve of her efforts on his part. She had thought he would be as invested in knowing who his parents were, what his name was, as _she_ was. It _hurt_ , the thought that it didn't matter as much to him as it did to her.

Too late, Nida realized his mistake and he quickly said, "Look, it's not like I don't appreciate what you're doing, of _course_ I do! It's just that I've gone some twenty odd years just as I am and I'm _fine_ with it! I don't need to know who I am badly enough for you to risk your life to find out."

"It almost feels like you don't trust me to take care of myself." Quistis said stiffly. Anger began to simmer, bringing a bloom of color to her pale cheeks.

"It's not that, Quistis! Gods!" Nida exclaimed. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, attempting to get a grip on himself.

"Nida, I'm so close. I wanted to wait until I could get confirmation of certain things before I told you, but...I think I may have already found your name and birthdate." Quistis bit her lip and fell silent.

She wouldn't beg. If he truly didn't want to know, didn't feel it worth her risking her life over, who was she to disagree? It was _his_ background she was attempting to dig up. _His_ identity. Ultimately it was his decision whether he wanted her to continue with her research or not. Quistis realized that she should have involved him more in this search.

Nida's eyes sprang open and he looked over at her, swallowing.

"You _may_ have...?" he finally said, slowly, then clamped his lips shut. He wasn't going to ask. He didn't want to know. _Did he?_

"I think so, yes. I need to confirm a few things and...well, I was going to tell you about this in any case, but if I can find where your parents were buried, we can request an exhumation and a DNA test to be sure that it's really them."

It was too much. Nida shook his head violently and stood up, unable to sit still. His face was expressionless, but Quistis could see his tension in every movement of his normally graceful body. He prowled into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, his back to her.

"DNA test?" he asked, his voice sounding muffled. "And what if those bones we dig up, assuming we even find them, _aren't_ a match? You just keep digging? Chasing down rabbit hole after rabbit hole? What if we never find them? What if my parents were tossed in a mass grave with everyone else that died that day? Tossed out like trash..." His voice faltered.

Taking a deep breath, he finished quietly, "how long before you say enough is enough? This could take _years_ Quistis. Years. And you may never find them at all."

Then he whirled and stalked back to her, eyes blazing, "meanwhile, he's _out there, waiting_ for you to slip up. _Waiting_ for the right opportunity. You know as well as I do that it only takes one minute. _One second_ where your attention is on something else and...he'll have you. People like him Quistis, they don't stop. He will _never_ stop hunting you."

Standing up slowly, Quistis faced him with her chin held high, eyes flashing, and she stated, " _Let_ him come. Maybe we can finally end this...this _game_ , once and for all. You're right Nida, he won't stop. But I won't let him stop _me_! I won't let fear stop me...and I won't let _you_ stop me either."

Nida stared at her in shock. "Quistis... he means to kill you! I don't want you to throw your life away just for..."

"What makes you think I'll be throwing my life away?" she asked with false sweetness. "Have you so little confidence in me then?"

"NO! That's not it at all! This is _not_ about how good you are as a SeeD! This is about being smart and not taking unnecessary risks!" Nida shouted. "You know it'll only end when one of you is dead!"

"Maybe that's what I want!" Quistis snapped. "I'm tired of looking over my shoulder, flinching at every sound and feeling so broken inside that I barely recognize myself! _I'm tired of playing his fucking game!_ Maybe I _want_ him to come for me so I can finally kill him and be done with it!"

Nida's face went dead white, and he asked, "and what if he kills you instead?"

"Then it won't matter anymore, will it?" she answered coldly.

"It won't matter? _It won't matter?"_ Nida asked in stunned disbelief. "It matters to _me_! Do my feelings even count? Is this even about me or finding my identity or is it really about your vendetta? Because that's what this is turning into!"

"Maybe it is, now. And maybe it was long overdue." Quistis answered. "I'm not afraid."

Silence fell and they simply stared at each other. Quistis' heart hammered so hard that she was surprised that it didn't leap out of her chest. Nida was right, this wasn't just about him anymore, though it had started out that way. It was about regaining the last piece of herself that Sean had stolen from her. Nida couldn't possibly understand that.

She had told Nida that she wasn't afraid, tasting the lie as she spoke. No, she wasn't afraid, she was terrified. And while Sean lived, she'd _always_ be afraid. So she would use that fear as her weapon to lure him, and put an end to the nightmare once and for all.

"Quistis..." Nida was saying in a strangled voice, eyes bright. "Does it matter to you, _at all_ , that I love you?"

Quistis' heart stuttered to a stop and she had to remind herself to breathe, before she answered, "Of course it does, Nida. And I love you too..."

"But you're still going to do this."

"Yes."

"Can you at least wait a few weeks until after the games? I'll be free to help you then. Hyne knows I want the man dead as badly as you do..." He began, voice trembling slightly.

Quistis shook her head, "I need to do this on my own. It's my fault I let him do this to me in the first place. My mistake. I can't let you, or Squall or Irvine or anyone else here clean up my mess."

Nida closed his eyes in sudden anguish and sat down heavily, dropping his face into his hands and spearing his hands into his hair. It was getting long again, Quistis noticed distractedly, the inky strands sliding through his fingers like silk. She swallowed, fingers suddenly tingling at the memory of its smooth, soft texture.

"I can't stop you." he said in a dead voice. "But I won't watch you throw yourself away either."

Quistis frowned, "Nida?"

"Go home Quistis. Call me when you're done with this."

Quistis suddenly went ice cold as his words sunk in.

"This isn't...you're not..."

"No." Nida shook his head, not meeting her eyes. "But I think we need a break, sweetheart."

Quistis swallowed, eyes suddenly stinging.

"Okay." she said, taking a shaky breath.

She hesitated a moment, then slowly reached over and reclaimed her tote bag. Nida didn't move or look up, and she frowned, suddenly confused at the turn things had taken. Would this "break" be a permanent one?

She walked to the door alone, her boot heels clicking in the heavy silence. Upon reaching the door she stopped and turned around.

"Nida?" she said softly. When he finally looked up to meet her gaze, the hurt in his eyes made her want to weep.

"I still have to confirm this but...If I'm right, then your name is Christopher Alaric Nida. You were born in Deling City, and as of this last February second, you are twenty-three."

She turned and left, closing the door softly behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... FINALLY another update. I really dithered a lot over this chapter, had to redo some parts three times before I finally got it where I wanted it to be. It kept going off in directions I didn't want it to. Too many tangents would confuse the story and that's not what I wanted. I wanted an emotional upheaval between these two, because quite frankly, they were overdue for a fight. Every relationship has its rough patches and they hadn't had one yet. and wise or not, Quistis has a definite motive for continuing her activities, quite aside from actually gaining some valuable knowledge about Nida's identity.  
> And Nida...well, he DOES have issues with Quistis' digging, and those will become more manifest now that she's spilled some of her information...  
> As for me, well, life's been kicking my ass on a regular basis, which has made it difficult to update consistently. I DO try to write when I have the time, but the demands on my time have multiplied to an alarming degree. Sometimes it gets overwhelming. So, I do try to keep up with this and other stories but my life has gotten rather demanding lately, and shows no signs of calming down any time soon.  
> About Nida's NAME...well... seemed like a good idea at the time...


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